Teen auto accidents in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, Norfolk and other nearby areas are a major issue for parents, school officials and law enforcement officers. What if a little extra sleep is all it would take to cut down on the car crash rate for teen drivers?
That’s the question being asked by researchers at Norfolk’s Virginia Medical School. Sleep researchers believe that teenagers need more sleep than most people realize – at least nine hours a night – and without this much sleep accidents are more likely to happen. What teen auto accident rates in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake reveal Researchers compared accident rates at high schools in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. In Virginia Beach, 11 high schools all started the school day at 7:20am. In Chesapeake, 7 high schools start the day at 8:40am. The two school systems were chosen because they are similar in terms of demographics ethnicity and family income. What did researchers find? Students in the Chesapeake school system were 19.2 percent less likely to be involved in car crashes than students in Virginia Beach. Researchers theorize that this is because the early start time in Virginia Beach disrupts teens’ circadian rhythm, and causes them to have to drive when they are too tired to be
