The upcoming solar eclipse is a rare and exciting event. Luckily, Utah neighbors the states that will experience its full totality. This means there will be many people traveling by car, causing much more traffic than usual.
In addition, due to the numerous solar eclipse events occurring throughout the Utah valley, (for those who would like to witness the partial eclipse) there will be a high amount of traffic locally. This increases the chance of car accidents, whether traveling or commuting.
Table of Contents
The Danger on the Road
Your Monday routine may leave you on the road during the eclipse. According to Joe Bauman, vice president of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society, “In Utah, it will be really interesting, the sun will be nearly gone, leaving a sizeable bedazzling crescent in the sky with the moon encroaching on it.” Therefore, it will be very tempting to take your eyes off of the road when this two minute event occurs or to spontaneously pull over in a dangerous fashion. If you are driving during the eclipse do not put yourself or others at risk. Solar eclipses occur more than once and there will be many video and picture recaps.
In addition to the eclipse itself being distracting, places that will experience complete totality will go dark in the middle of the day, which means drivers who are on the road at this time may be at a greater risk for an accident. If you are traveling to experience full totality, prepare yourself for sudden darkness if you are on the road at this time. Utah however, will not turn completely dark, but will imitate dusk. So, it is recommended to also be prepared in the change of lighting that affects your vision.
The eclipse is stated to the the “biggest distraction of the century”. Therefore, there is a high potential for car accidents to occur.
Risky Rumor’s
There are many rumors in regards to the solar eclipse floating around the media. One of which will give your bank account a scare. There have been rumor’s that your car insurance policy will change because of the eclipse. We can confirm that car insurance policies will not change based on the event of the solar eclipse. However, often times car insurance companies will try to throw unexpected curve balls your way while filing a claim, especially if you have been in an accident that was not your fault. It is the insurance company’s job to give you the lowest possible settlement.
If you Fail to Avoid a Cosmic Collision
Car accidents can happen at any time and at any place and are especially common during rare events, such as a solar eclipse. We hope you enjoy the cosmic show on August 21, 2017 and don’t end up in a cosmic collision. However, if you find yourself in a car accident that was not your fault, we will deal with the insurance companies so you don’t have to and fight to give you the settlement that you deserve.
Images courtesy of PublicDomainPictures