Sleep-deprived teens more likely to have accidents

Re: “Study: Crashes involving teens cost D.C., Md., Va. $1.5B in ’06,” April 5

Your report on AAA’s estimate of a $1.5 billion cost to the metro area for crashes involving teenagers states that graduated licensing is one of the prime factors needed to reduce such crashes. I think not.

While I agree that graduated licensing should be done, the cause of teen crashes is more directly attributable to sleep deprivation.

According to National Institutes of Health research, 55 percent of all car crashes in which drivers fell asleep involve people under the age of 26.

Teens require nine hours of sleep per night. However, teens living in Fairfax County and surrounding areas get far less.

Most wake before 6 a.m. to catch a long bus ride for their early school start time.

School leaders are not too concerned about the sleepy kids because their academic performance seems OK.

Why spend money they don’t have in the school transportation budget just to better children’s health?

The school board should be listed as a responsible party for each and every student involved in an accident that is attributed to sleep deprivation.

It makes economic sense for school districts to find the paltry funds needed to increase their transportation budgets for later start times so the rest of us can drive safely.

Kathleen Griggs

Vienna

Obama’s behavior was correct — for a foreigner

Re: “Barack Obama says pledge just like the rest of us,” From Readers, April 4

William Eacho defends Barack Obama’s failure to render the appropriate respect during the national anthem, saying, “The Internet photo was taken during the national anthem and none of us were raised to put our hand over our heart for the anthem, although some choose to do so.”

Before Mr. Eacho rebukes Examiner reporter Bill Sammon, he should read Title 36 United States Code, Section 301(b)(1)(A), National Anthem, which says that all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag (or music when no flag is present) with the right hand over the heart. Different rules apply for military members and there is no penalty for non-compliance, but it is customary and the law.

Obama’s action, politely standing during the anthem, is the proper custom for foreigners. For this and many other reasons, I question Obama’s patriotism.

Inbal Rasmussen

Gaithersburg

Go after those employers who hire illegal workers

Re: “Few arrests based solely on immigration status, police chief says,” April 3

Is 89 the total number of individuals checked in Prince William County overall, regardless of race and ethnicity, since the implementation of the new illegal-immigration policy?

Although illegal immigration should not be condoned, as Americans we should also not condone racism and prejudice against specific racial and ethnic groups.

The source of illegal immigration is select employers who refuse to follow employment policies and continue to hire illegal workers. If you really want to resolve the illegal immigration issue, you need to target and penalize these employers. As long as the root of the problem remains, it will reoccur in a different form.

Alex Holgado

Dulles

Tax credit won’t cover steep rise in prices

According to the information I have been able to obtain, the very complex real estate tax increase calculation planned by Montgomery County can be roughly approximated as an 8.3 percent increase in the tax rate applied to the current year assessment step up, minus a current-year-only tax credit of $401.

A friend who studies taxation told me that the current-year-only tax credit will not be made available to businesses.

Thus, they will experience a significant increase in their overhead and will pass this along to consumers in the county.

We need another Boston Tea Party.

Richard C. Kreutzberg,

Chevy Chase