A total solar eclipse is scheduled to occur in the United States on April 8th, and people are making plans to be in the right place when it happens.
The best place is a 100-mile trail that stretches from Maine in the northeast to Texas in the south. Inside this path, you can experience the moment when the daylight fades, creatures are fooled into a false twilight, and the noise of nature subsides.
Another consequence could be an increase in traffic accidents, according to a recently published study. However, the eclipse is not thought to be due to drivers looking out their car windows to get a better view of the eclipse, becoming distracted or suddenly confused by the dimming light. Rather, the increase in crashes is likely due primarily to increased traffic volume as millions of people move toward concentrated areas of the United States.
researchA paper published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine found that during the last total solar eclipse in the United States in 2017, there was a significant increase in traffic fatalities in the United States, and the path of the total solar eclipse was coast to coast. It is said that it has spread to
Data shows that risks to road safety increased by 31% before and after the 2017 total solar eclipse. In absolute terms, this translates to an average of one additional crash fatality every 25 minutes and one additional crash fatality every 95 minutes. The paper said the overall relative risk is “on the same scale as the increases in traffic risk observed around Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, or the Fourth of July weekend.”
Like next month’s solar eclipse, the solar eclipse seven years ago also caused a lot of excitement. That’s because the total orbit was within a 300-mile drive of one-third of the country. An estimated 20 million people traveled from their homes to other cities to watch the celestial phenomenon, which resulted in far more cars on the roads than usual.
Researchers attributed the potential factors for the increase in accidents at the time as traffic volume increased to “drivers being distracted by unfamiliar routes, driving too fast to arrive on time, and unusual celestial phenomena.” , eclipse-related drug and alcohol disorders.” These include celebrations and observing the solar eclipse from dangerous roadside locations. ”
The next total solar eclipse will be within driving distance of more than 200 million people, so those who jump in the car and head to the viewing spot are advised to “obey speed limits, minimize distractions, and It is recommended that you maintain a safe distance between vehicles and wear your seat belt. And avoid driving while impaired. ” Make sure you are fully prepared and enjoy the solar eclipse.
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