It’s an exciting time for moon worshipers, as the Earth’s natural satellite is about to get its time in the spotlight with a total eclipse that’s set to be visible from vast portions of America on April 8th. While the lunar phenomenon is exciting, it turns out it can also mark a dangerous time for motorists, as one study warned that fatal car crashes could be about to spike.
The total solar eclipse will be visible across America on April 8th when the moon passes in front of the sun, temporarily blocking its light from reaching Earth. When that happens, a new paper has warned that there could be an uptick in fatal car crashes across the country, reports Space.com.
According to the site, the 2017 eclipse in America resulted in a spike in deaths on the country’s roads, and now experts are warning the same could happen during the eclipse next month. As Space.com explains:
The surge in crashes wasn’t tied to the daytime darkness caused by the eclipse. Actually, “we see a significant decrease during the single hour that involves the eclipse,” said co-author Dr. Donald Redelmeier, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a staff physician at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
“The problem is the surrounding hours, when people are traveling to their place of observation and especially afterwards,” Redelmeier told Live Science. “We’re especially concerned about the drive home.”
So while we’re sure you all know to turn your lights on and take care when you’re driving in the dark, we’d like to take this time to remind you not to get too excited about the eclipse.
We know, it’s novel for it to go dark during the day, but that doesn’t mean you should drive like a maniac to get the best view of the moon as it passes in front of the sun.
Stay safe out there, kids. And remember, don’t look an eclipse directly in the eye.