In the cold winter months, everyone feels the chilly air when leaving their house in the morning. What they also might feel are the icy roads when driving to school. During the winter, it’s dangerous to drive on unsalted and icy roads, especially if inexperienced teenage drivers are still getting used to the road. To protect drivers—and give students and staff a little more sleep—starting school days at a later hour would be beneficial.

Extended sleep hours are necessary for a productive day at school, but they are also necessary to be alert on the road. According to Mountainheightsacademy.org, “Sleep deprivation can lead to impaired judgment and slower reaction times, which are particularly dangerous for teenage drivers.” It is very common for teen drivers to cause accidents while driving drowsily. It could be a cause of 10-20% of car crashes, says Rwjf.org. If school starts later, students would get more sleep and drive less dangerously. 

Also, teens aren’t the only ones driving. Bus drivers need more time to brake on the road and are responsible for more kids. More than 1,800 people die annually in crashes on snowy/icy roads, and many of the incidents involve heavy trucks, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Coming to complete stops, getting on and exiting the vehicle are all dangers in icy weather. Having students wait outside for the bus in the icy early morning could cause discomfort, but if the school day starts later, they’d be outside when it’s warmer.

If school started later during the winter, there would be more time for roads to be plowed and salted, and give drivers longer sleep hours for safer travels.