Sleep Disorders: Teens, Sleep, and Driving

Teen driving restrictions seem to be working.

Think about it. Your kid is 15 or 16 and out of school. Maybe they have secured a summer job, or are working just enough for you to stay off their back. Meanwhile they found work where they do not have to go in until noon and they stay out late, because, well they can.

Their biological rhythms drift (as is normal for that age) and guess what it was their birthday recently and they are behind the wheel of a car!!! Check out these stats:

Fatality and injury crash rates for 16-year-old drivers were 20 percent lower in a state with nighttime and passenger restrictions than in a comparison jurisdiction that lacked these building blocks of safer teen driving, according to a study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. In addition, the study also showed that twice as many crash-free teens reported never having violated their state's passenger restriction provision compared to teens that had crashed.

Here's the scary part: Statistics from 1995-2004 indicate that on average 104 teens aged 16 and 17 have died in drowsy driving crashes in July and August alone, compared to 87 in the other months -- that's a 20% increase!

And if you think this cannot happen think again: The National Sleep Foundation's poll indicated that 51% of the 16- and 17-year-olds surveyed reported they had driven drowsy at least once in the past year.

Some other scary stats:

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers
16-year-olds are involved in more than five times as many fatal crashes per mile driven as are adults in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.
Half of 16- and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes are carrying at least one passenger under age 21 and no adult passengers.
More than one third of deaths of 16- and 17-year-old drivers occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., despite the fact that there are fewer teens on the road during those hours.

Here's a tool that I think all parents should consider:

The AAA Foundation now offers an interactive DVD for teens called Driver-ZED, which puts users through 100 driving scenarios allowing them to experience conditions it could take several years to encounter on the road. Also included is supplemental information to aid parents in the process. Visit www.driverzed.org to learn more or contact your local AAA club.