Drivers across the UK are being warned not to let tonight's solar eclipse distract them from the road, as the rare spectacle coincides with the tail-end of the evening rush hour. The partial eclipse, which will obscure more than 90 per cent of the Sun, is expected to peak between about 7.05pm and 7.13pm BST, depending on location.
Eclipse timing and visibility
The maximum eclipse will occur during the evening rush hour, prompting warnings for motorists. Those in Devon, Cornwall and the westernmost parts of Pembrokeshire in Wales are expected to see the eclipse at its fullest, with 94 to 96 per cent of the sun obscured. Skygazers in Greater Manchester will witness 91 per cent coverage.
The last time the UK saw this much coverage of the Sun was during the 1999 eclipse, when parts of south west England witnessed totality.
Five safety tips for drivers
Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com, warns: "Tonight's eclipse will be a memorable moment for millions, as it's the UK's biggest partial solar eclipse in over 25 years. But the one place you shouldn't be watching it from is behind the wheel."
Mr Crole-Rees has outlined five tips to stay safe behind the wheel when the solar eclipse occurs:
- Don't look up at the eclipse while driving. It only takes a second of distraction for a routine journey to turn into a serious accident.
- Don't wear eclipse glasses at the wheel. They're designed for looking at the sun, not the road, and they black out almost everything in front of you.
- Don't reach for your phone or camera to grab a photo of it. Using a handheld phone while driving is illegal.
- Don't brake suddenly or stop in the road just because you've spotted it. It's a common cause of rear-end collisions and can bring traffic to a dangerous standstill.
- Don't pull over somewhere dangerous, such as a hard shoulder, grass verge, narrow country road, or anywhere you could block other traffic.
Penalties for distraction
"Avoiding these warnings can carry real penalties too," Mr Crole-Rees added. "Getting distracted could land you with a careless driving charge, starting at a £100 fine and 3 penalty points and rising to as much as 9 points, an unlimited fine or even a driving ban in serious cases."
"Reaching for your phone will leave you with a £200 fine and 6 points on top," he added.
If you do want to watch the eclipse, the advice is to park up somewhere safe and legal well before it starts, and keep your visor down and headlights on for the low evening sun. Once you're stopped, you should also make sure you're looking through proper, certified eclipse glasses, as ordinary sunglasses won't protect your eyes and staring at the sun directly can cause permanent damage.
The eclipse will only last a few minutes, so there's no need to let a moment of distraction turn a routine drive into a dangerous one.
