00:00If you're traveling to watch the eclipse on April 8th, be careful on the road.
00:03That's the message from two doctors, Donald A. Rettelmeyer and John A. Staples,
00:08who just published a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.
00:11Rettelmeyer and Staples studied traffic fatality data from the days surrounding a previous eclipse,
00:15which was visible from the continental U.S. in 2017.
00:18They found that compared to three-day control intervals,
00:21the days before, of, and after the eclipse saw 30% more fatal crashes.
00:25The researchers speculate that this isn't because the eclipse reduces visibility,
00:30rather, they blame the increase in traffic,
00:32as lots of people try to get to a location where the eclipse will be visible.
00:35CNN quotes Rettelmeyer as saying,
00:37the risks do not occur at the exact moment of totality.
00:40It's not when everything is dark and black and chilly,
00:42but instead, they occur in the hours before and after.
00:45NASA says that the path of visibility for April's eclipse
00:48will travel from southwestern Texas up through Maine.
00:51So if you're in that area, be alert while driving.
00:53And, of course, don't forget to wear your special glasses.
