The Pros And Cons Of Drowsy Driving

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“Our school education ignores, in a thousand ways, the rules of healthy development.” These words, said in the late 1800s by British Physician Elizabeth Blackwell, ring true for America’s education system. Failing at least thirty percent of enrolled students, America’s education system is hindering the growth and development of the nation’s future generation (Psychcentral [1]). Sadly, this statistic has been the status quo since the establishment of the Modern Department of Education (Allgov [1]). Contrarily to these statistics, it would not be a wise decision to abolish a department that sets health, safety, and education standards, and provides many financial benefits for students of a lesser socioeconomic status for students that decide …show more content…
Drowsy driving is not only an issue, it is a widespread epidemic that plagues nearly sixty percent of Americans. However, when arguing drowsy driving, the first opposing idea that one may have is, “Teens can consume caffeinated beverages before beginning their morning commute.” This idea seems plausible at first glance – teens are permitted to drink caffeinated beverages and, when used in moderation, coffee can have great benefits. Conversely, what many do not consider is the harmful effects that elongated coffee use can have on adolescents. “Teenagers who regularly use at least 400 mg of caffeine subject themselves to addiction” (Livestrong [1]). According to this data, extensive coffee use is not the answer to drowsy driving. In fact, using coffee as an energy boost consistently can pose major mental and physical risks, even when consumed in smaller portions (Cherniske, Stephen …show more content…
Most rush hour occurs between 7:00 and 8:00 A.M. Starting school at 9:00 A.M. would enforce an 8:00 to 9:00 A.M. travel time for schools (The Washington Post [1]). In most areas, according to the United States Census, on average, Americans commute nearly an hour every day. However, when applying this to students, one incredibly dangerous factor is overlooked: texting while driving. While this does not exclusively apply to adolescents, because teens’ minds are not fully developed, texting and driving poses problematic to many student drivers (National Institute of Mental Health [1]). Because texting and driving is such a prevalent issue, teens should not be expected to drive in many metropolitan areas, where their driving would not only act as a potential threat to themselves, but to many drivers around them. A seeming solution to the rush hour predicament is carpooling during rush hour. However, when examined, there are many issues that arise when considering carpooling during this busy time. The most prominent issue to be considered is exposed in the data relating to carpool related accidents. According to the NTSB, nearly 5000 people have suffered from incidents occurring because of carpooling, 4500 of which requiring medical attention (Journalist’s Resource [1]). After overviewing the concepts of drowsy driving and rush hour, questions begin to arise. In these questions, one may begin to consider: “Is it wiser to begin school two hours
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