Surge in traffic fatalities possible during upcoming solar eclipse, UBC researchers warn

A total solar eclipse is seen in Belitung, Indonesia, Wednesday, March 9, 2016. A total solar eclipse was witnessed along a narrow path that stretched across Indonesia while in other parts of Asia a partial eclipse was visible. (AP Photo)

B.C. researchers are warning drivers in eastern Canada to take extra caution on the road during the upcoming total solar eclipse, as data from the 2017 event showed a surge in fatal incidents.

The research, which was a joint effort between the University of British Columbia and University of Toronto, looked at traffic risks from the last total solar eclipse. Data from around the time of that event showed there were 46 traffic-related extra deaths in the U.S. Those findings were published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. 

Donald Redelmeier, with the University of Toronto, said in a statement the increased risks "likely derive from increased traffic, travel on unfamiliar routes, speeding to arrive on time, driver distraction by a celestial event, drug or alcohol impairment, or eclipse viewing from unsafe roadside locations."

Researchers explained that, over the three-day eclipse exposure period, 741 people were involved in fatal crashes, which equals 10.3 per hour. Over six control days, 1,137 people were in fatal crashes, which equals 7.9 per hour. Researchers said that amounted to a 31 per cent increase in fatal crash involvement.

"To help prevent another possible surge in traffic fatalities, drivers should respect speed limits, minimize distractions, allow more headway, wear a seatbelt and never drive impaired," John Staples, with UBC, said in a statement.

The next total eclipse is coming up on April 8 and will pass through parts of Canada, the United States and Mexico. The total eclipse won't be visible in B.C., however, as it's expected to enter Canada in southern Ontario before continuing through Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI and Cape Breton. But on the West Coast, a partial solar eclipse may be visible, with about a quarter of the sun covered by the moon.