Driving at a high rate of speed without wearing a seat belt can be an unfortunate combination. Speed may have been a factor in a rollover crash that left five Anderson County High School students injured yesterday afternoon, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The car accident happened on Andersonville Highway just after noon. The driver of an SUV apparently lost control while going around a curve, causing a rollover. Some of the passengers were ejected from the vehicle.

Pictures posted to WBIR’s website show skid marks where the vehicle exited the road. It also shows pictures of the vehicle, which appears completely totaled.

The students were taken to UT Medical Center for treatment. At least three of them were injured critically and flown to the medical center via Lifestar. One student with minor injuries was discharged from the hospital.

Three boys and two teenage girls were involved in the crash, according to WBIR. They were all apparently believed to be sophomores at the high school. The students were apparently on their way to go fishing and swimming when the crash occurred. They had the day off because ACT testing was taking place at the school.

Some friends of the victims went to the hospital, hoping for the best. One teen said he was “devastated, but at the same time you have to remain positive,” according to WBIR. He also says the accident was scary and motivated him to always wear his seat belt.

Source: WBIR, “Five Anderson County students were taken to UT Medical Center Tuesday after SUV crash off Andersonville Pike,” March 21, 2012

There might be a reason people get grumpy about losing an hour of sleep as we “spring forward” with Daylight Savings Time. While an hour might not seem like a huge difference, the shift in sunlight can upset a person’s circadian rhythm. And that, believe it or not, can lead to car accidents and other potential mishaps.

The shift can be difficult, especially for people who have a tough time in the morning hours as it is. The time change can actually be more difficult for people than shifting a time zone while traveling, says the director of a sleep and mood disorders laboratory.

According to an interesting ABC News article, the body clock, which is a part of the brain that generates the sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, can get thrown off with less light in the morning and extra light in the evening. The circadian rhythm needs a “signal” of sorts to reset every day. People can feel exhausted when their light-dark and sleep-wake cycles don’t line up. This is what can lead to accidents and other problems.

There are ways to adjust for people who are prone to problems. The director of the sleep and mood disorders laboratory says that avoiding evening sunlight shortly after the time change can help, as can absorbing the morning sunlight after the change. That means actually getting up at dawn to be in the light and not merely sleeping by a window.

What do you think? Is the Daylight Savings change something you barely notice, or does it always feel exhausting to you?

Source: ABC News, “Daylight Savings Time 2012: How to spring forward,” Katie Moisse, March 9, 2012

Racing on public streets is dangerous for a lot of reasons. Drivers who do it are not only putting their own life in danger, but the lives of nearby motorists as well.

Two young drivers were street racing in Knoxville recently, according to witnesses. That apparently led to a head-on accident that severely injured two people.

The accident happened on State Route 394 in Blountville recently. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, witnesses say two juveniles in separate vehicles were racing on a recent afternoon. One of the vehicles, a Honda Accord, apparently passed a slower vehicle and veered into oncoming traffic, crashing head-on with a Chevrolet pick-up truck driven by a 62-year-old man from Kingsport. Both he and the young man sustained injuries.

Charges are pending an investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, according to the Times News.

The pickup truck driver’s wife says the man was hospitalized for several days. He suffered a variety of injuries, including a broken bone above his ankle that protruded from his skin. He also suffered several broken ribs, among other injuries. He was being treated at Bristol Regional Medical Center.

The young driver, who is a 17-year-old high school student, was injured as well. He was in a medically induced coma at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. He apparently required at least two days of surgery for treatment of his injuries. His most serious injury was thought to be a tear to his aorta.

Source: Times News, “Juvenile victim of Blountville crash remains in coma, second victim still hospitalized,” Rain Smith, March 1, 2012

If the results of a new study are any indication, parents shouldn’t just brush it off when they notice their teenage children making sharp turns or braking abruptly when they drive. It shouldn’t be surprising, but the study finds that this kind of driving pattern often leads teens to be involved in car accidents.

Researchers with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development used cameras and computers to determine g-force events while teens drove. The study followed 42 new teen drivers across an 18-month period, according to a Reuters Health article.

The study revealed that an increase in g-force events, such as sharp turns and screeching halts, led to an increase in car accidents or near crashes. Of the 68,000 driving trips the teens took, 37 involved crashes. There were also 242 incidents that nearly led to accidents.

What researchers took away from the study is that teens’ driving patterns can be predictors of whether or not they will be involved in accidents. That means parents should follow their instincts if they feel their son or daughter is developing some bad driving habits.

One thing parents can do is give their children feedback about their driving if they notice anything amiss. They can also ask them not to drive in cases of extreme weather until they get a little more experience behind the wheel. A more extreme measure might be purchasing an electronic device that can give feedback about a teen’s driving, although they are expensive and not necessarily practical.

Source: EmpowHer.com, “Risky starts and stops predict teen crashes,” Feb. 20, 2012