My brother loves to snowboard. Before he left for college he wanted to buy a new car that could handle the mountains and the snow better. He finally bought his new car, and my family all teased him for it. It was a little hybrid car and the color was described as "baby blue." He loves it though. He loves how quiet it is. He loves to blast his music. He loves that he doesn't have to pay as much for gas. But more than he loves his car he loves snowboarding. His senior year, he would skip class and drive up to the mountains. He kept his grades up, everyone blamed it on a bad case of senioritis. And then straight into college he kept on driving up to the mountains. But I guess at some point it got too hard to manage. He's at Colorado State University studying Civil Engineering. His college experience was different than his high school experience though. He wasn't able to miss class so flippantly anymore. But he loves snowboarding. So he kept on making his trips up to the mountains, and he kept snowboarding. He couldn't sacrifice snowboarding and he couldn't sacrifice school. So he sacrificed sleep. He was on his way home from one of him many ski trips and he hadn't been sleeping enough. Too busy. He was exhausted and he had two hours ahead of him. My brother made the smart decision. He pulled over to the side of the road and he slept until he could safely drive again. My parents were so grateful he recognized his state. But not everyone made the smart decision. Fatigue behind the wheel is a serious issue. And it's only getting worse. There is a sleep epidemic facing teenagers today. In 2021, 77% of teenagers did not receive enough sleep at night (CDC). This means 77% of students are waking up in the morning and making their commute to school fatigued, which considerably raises the danger of a car accident. This percentage even rises in specific groups of students, with the percentage for female students being 80%, and the percentage for high school seniors being 84%. This lack of sleep is making it incredibly dangerous for students to be driving. I am lucky to live so close to my school, but my friends have 30 minute drives to school, often requiring them to take a highway. I prioritize my sleep and even then, I only tend to get about 7 hours. For people my age, 8-10 hours is recommended. I rarely meet someone who gets more sleep on a nightly basis, and if I don't meet the standards, then my peers definitely don't. So, if only 23% of teen drivers are awake and safely navigating the streets, then how can drowsy driving incidents be prevented. Drowsy driving incidents are often overlooked, but that does not mean they are not harmful. In fact, in 2023 alone, there were 633 deaths that resulted from drowsy driving (NHTSA). So many deaths resulting from an activity that teens unknowingly partake in each morning. The real issue, however, is that teens' sleep is only getting worse. In 2009, the overall percentage was down 8%. This number has been steadily increasing since then. 73% is 2015, 75% in 2017, 78% in 2019, and finally back to 77% in 2021. Drowsy driving is only going to become more and more dangerous, and parents, teachers, and students themselves need to take steps to protect themselves. While students can take many matters into their own hands, there are some things out of their control. I believe the bottom line is that school, extracurricular, and work have gotten out of hand. Students are no longer able to complete their education, do what they love, and save to pay their expenses. It's become so difficult for teens to manage their daily lives while keeping up with sleep. Just like my brother, many students make the decision to sacrifice their sleep before other aspects of their lives. Maybe, like my brother is his senior year, they can manage all of their tasks and their leisure. But maybe, like my brother as a freshman, they begin losing sleep. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if my brother hadn't pulled over to the side of the road. Nor do my parents, my siblings, or his friends. It's scary to me how many teens are driving, on the verge of falling asleep, and even on the verge of causing a deadly accident. I hope other teens have the decision making skills of my brother, but not everyone will. Prioritizing sleep is prioritizing safety.