- Solar eclipse may elevate car crash fatalities, warns study
- Research reveals 1,000+ extra road deaths during past eclipse
- Surge in traffic anticipated during April 8 eclipse event
Scientists have issued a warning that the April solar eclipse could lead to an increase in fatal automobile collisions.
After analysing road traffic data about the 2017 solar eclipse, researchers from the University of Toronto determined that there were over a thousand additional road fatalities in the United States in the three days preceding and following the celestial event.
The daily average number of automobile-related fatalities in the United States is approximately 114; however, the week of the solar eclipse four years ago witnessed a minimum of 189 such incidents.
The surge in vehicular traffic can be attributed to millions of individuals venturing beyond their places of origin and en route to urban centres along the path of totality.
Over 3.7 million individuals will travel to one of fourteen states, including Texas, Maine, Kentucky, Idaho, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, to observe the solar eclipse on April 8.
Due to its central location for observing the eclipse, Texas is anticipated to receive the most significant number of visitors, ranging from 270,000 to an estimated one million. In contrast, Indiana is projected to receive between 131,000 and 522,000 individuals.
While car rentals and hotels remain available, their prices have significantly increased, especially in Dallas, where hotel reservations increased by 571 per cent in the days preceding the solar eclipse.
In addition to Waco, Texas, where hotel rates have increased by 81%, Cleveland and Austin have also witnessed price surges of 33% and 34%, respectively.
The report indicates that the general escalation in traffic hazards was similar to that witnessed during significant holidays such as Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and the weekend of July 4.
A total solar eclipse transpires when the moon entirely obscures the sun’s face, momentarily resulting in nocturnal darkness outdoors.
Amid a restricted pathway traversing North and Central America, approximately32 million individuals will behold the spectacle.
It will be the first to be observed in the United States since August 2017, during which traffic dangers increased by 95%.
The number of crashes spiked above average the hour preceding the event, then fell below average during the eclipse before exploding to an alarming 50 per cent above average.
The issue pertains to the hours preceding and following the observation site, particularly during the travel period, said Dr Donald Redelmeier, a co-author of the report and a medical professor at the University of Toronto, as quoted in Live Science.
He added, “We are particularly concerned about the drive home.”
A 50 per cent increase compared to the average day was observed in the hour preceding the eclipse, when millions of individuals departed simultaneously, resulting in the most significant growth.
The researchers concluded that the rise in catastrophic collisions could not have been attributed to ambient lighting but rather to increased vehicles on the road.
Drivers attempting to observe the eclipse while travelling on unfamiliar roads, driving at high speeds to make it in time, becoming distracted while driving, or being impaired by drugs or alcohol due to celebrations associated with the eclipse are additional potential factors.
The new study compared National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data on all fatal accidents in the United States during the three-day window of the previous eclipse to data from the week prior and following the eclipse.
Additionally, they utilised a calculator from the United States Navy to ascertain the temporal correlation between the accident and the eclipse.
The considerable increase in fatalities may only provide a partial account, as the scientists could not obtain data regarding the quantity of less severe collisions, stating, “We simply do not have that information.”
However, the researchers cautioned that drivers should be wary of other motorists who did observe the eclipse, even if they are not in attendance.
The report follows a travel advisory issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, which stated that airports within the totality path of the solar eclipse could encounter rerouting and delays from April 7 to April 10.
The advisory includes Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which accommodates over 200,000 passengers daily and is anticipated to be a significant gateway for eclipse-watching travellers.
“All domestic IFR arrivals and departures may be subject to airborne holding, rerouting, and Expect Departure Clearance Times (EDCTs) that aircraft should be ready to comply with.” According to the FAA’s statement, traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) are feasible.
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State officials also expressed concern regarding the possibility that cellular service might be interrupted due to the anticipated influx of 3.7 million individuals to areas hosting the ‘Great North America Eclipse.’
Director of the Richland County Emergency Management Authority (EMA), Rebecca Owens, stated to the Richland Source, “Reception on cell phones will be extremely sketchy.”
“Many complications will arise about connectivity and similar matters.”
Before this, a T-Mobile representative said that the company had taken measures to ensure that customers maintain mobile access.
The spokesperson stated, “Our emergency teams are collaborating with state and local officials across the nation to provide additional support for large gatherings wherever it is required.”
