Scientists have warned there could be a rise in fatal car crashes during April’s solar eclipse.
Researchers at the University of Toronto analyzed road traffic data from the 2017 solar eclipse and found that there were more than 1,000 additional deaths on roads across the United States three days before and after the cosmic event.
The average number of car deaths in the United States each day is about 114, but there were at least 189 each day during the week of the solar eclipse four years ago.
The reason for the increase in driving is because millions more people are on the roads as they leave their hometowns and head to cities within the path of totality.
The solar eclipse will take place between Maine and Texas on April 8, 2024
Scientists predict massive increase in car accident deaths following solar eclipse
For the April 8 eclipse, more than 3.7 million people will travel to one of 14 states to view the solar eclipse, including Maine, Kentucky, Idaho, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Texas will receive the largest number of travelers, between 270,000 and approximately one million visitors, due to its prime location for viewing the eclipse, while Indiana will receive between 131,000 and 522,000 people.
Although there are still car rental and hotel options, costs have skyrocketed, particularly in Dallas, where there was a 571 percent increase in hotel reservations for the days leading up to the solar eclipse.
Hotel prices in Waco, Texas, increased a whopping 81 percent, while prices in Cleveland and Austin also increased by 33 and 34 percent, respectively.
According to the report, the overall increase in traffic risk was comparable to those seen on major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July weekend.
Full sun occurs when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun, briefly obscuring the outside during the day.
The spectacle will be visible to some 32 million people along a narrow path through North and Central America.
It will be the first time it has been seen from the US since August 2017, which also saw a 95 per cent increase in traffic risks at the time of the eclipse.
In the hour before the event, the number of accidents rose above average, but fell below average during the eclipse and then shot up to a shocking 50 percent above average.
“The problem is the surrounding hours, when people travel to their observation location and especially afterward,” said report co-author Dr. Donald Redelmeier, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. Living science.
“We are especially worried about the trip home,” he added.
The largest increase was seen in the hour before the eclipse because millions of people left at the same time, representing a 50 percent increase compared to an average day.
According to the researchers, the increase in fatal accidents was not likely to be due to ambient light, but rather the increase in people on the road.
Other potential factors include people driving on unfamiliar roads, speeding to view the eclipse in time, distractions while driving to attempt to view the eclipse, and drug- or alcohol-induced impairment at related celebrations.
The new study analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of all fatal crashes in the U.S. during the three-day period of the last eclipse and compared it to a three-day period the week before and after .
They also referenced a US Navy calculator to determine when the accident occurred in relation to when the eclipse took place.
The large influx of fatalities could be only part of the story, because scientists were unable to obtain information on the number of less serious accidents and said, “We just don’t have data on that.”
However, researchers warned that even if drivers are not viewing the eclipse, they should be careful around other drivers who did attend the event.
Up to 3.7 million people expected to travel to regions to see the solar eclipse
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that airports along the ‘path of totality’ will likely experience delays and diversions from April 7-10.
The report comes after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a travel warning, saying that airports that are in the line of the total solar eclipse path could experience delays and detours from April 7 to 10.
The warning includes Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which is expected to be a major hub for travelers coming to see the eclipse and already sees more than 200,000 travelers each day.
‘Aircraft must be prepared for possible mid-air holdings, diversions and/or expected departure clearance times (EDCTs) that may be issued for all domestic IFR arrivals and departures. Traffic Management Initiatives (TMI) are possible,” says the FAA advertisement saying.
State officials also expressed fear that cell phone service could be disrupted due to the 3.7 million people expected to gravitate toward the regions that will host the “Great North American Eclipse.”
Rebecca Owens, director of the Richland County Emergency Management Authority (EMA), told the Richland Fountain: ‘The mobile phone (reception) will be very, very incomplete.
“There’s going to be a lot of issues with connectivity and that sort of thing.”
A T-Mobile spokesperson previously told DailyMail.com that it has already taken steps to ensure people retain access to mobile phones.
“Our emergency teams are working with state and local officials across the country to provide additional support when needed for large gatherings,” the spokesperson said.