2017's US solar eclipse coincided with a 31% increase in fatal car accidents, likely due to increased travel.

2017's solar eclipse saw a significant 31% increase in fatal car accidents in the US, according to a research letter published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. During the 3-day period around the eclipse on August 21, there were 10.3 fatal crashes per hour, compared with 7.9 per hour during two control periods. The heightened traffic risk was not due to the eclipse's transient change in light but the increase in the number of people traveling.