US – A new report warns that the total solar eclipse expected on April 8 may cause an uptick in fatal car accidents.
Scientists reported that during the last total solar eclipse in North America, the “Great American Eclipse” of 2017, the United States saw a significant increase in fatal car accidents.
“The problems occur during the hours around the eclipse, when people are traveling to their observing sites,” said co-author Dr. Donald Redelmeyer, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
The path of the total eclipse in 2017 was rather narrow, with a width of about 113 km. In the middle of this path, eclipse observers witnessed the longest glimpse of the total eclipse, as the moon completely obscures the face of the sun.
Estimates revealed that about 20 million people in the United States traveled to different cities to reach the path of the total eclipse.
Given the traffic congestion during the 2017 solar eclipse, Riedelmeier and co-author John Staples wanted to know whether the eclipse was linked to life-threatening road accidents.
They studied data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a record of all fatal traffic crashes on public roads in the United States.
They focused on the three days before and after the eclipse on August 21, 2017. They also analyzed data on malfunctions a week before and a week after the astronomical event.
Overall, the eclipse was associated with a 31% increase in fatal accidents. This increase is consistent with what was seen during major travel holidays, such as Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July weekend.
During the eclipse period, about 10 people were involved in fatal accidents per hour.
The risks varied over time, rising above average before the solar eclipse, then falling below that during the eclipse and then rising to their highest levels, about 50% above average, after the event.
“Our bottom line is to recommend all standard safety strategies, they actually work,” Riedelmeier said.
These measures include obeying speed limits, minimizing distractions while driving, signaling turns and lane changes, and wearing seat belts.
The report was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Source: Live Science
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2024-03-27 14:14:34