ARKANSAS, USA — As Arkansas prepares for an influx of out-of-town guests a week ahead of the total solar eclipse, AAA (American Automobile Association) is offering some advice for staying safe on the roads this upcoming weekend.
People in Arkansas won’t have to travel far to see the eclipse, but AAA said some towns are expecting tens of thousands of travelers. This is why they say it's important for Arkansans to be prepared for the increase in traffic.
AAA said smaller towns near the path of totality may see crowds of visitors of two, three or four times the size of their population.
Nick Chabarria, spokesperson for AAA, said he expects Saturday, April 6 to be the busiest travel day.
If you are going to be on the road this coming weekend, Chabarria advises trying to get to your destination before the peak travel time Saturday afternoon and evening.
“If you are making it a weekend event, the earlier you can leave the better,” Chabarria said. “If you can leave Friday night, that's great. If you can leave first thing Saturday morning, that would be good as well. However, we know Saturday afternoon to evening hours, that's when a lot of people are going to be on the move getting to where they're going to be for Monday.”
AAA also encourages drivers to allow extra time for travel and to watch out for both vehicles and pedestrians.
For those who will be behind the wheel when the eclipse happens, Chabarria advises drivers to keep their eyes on the road and not the sky.
“Everybody wants to get a good view of the eclipse, but when you're driving, driving should be your main focus, not what's going on in the sky millions of miles away,” Chabarria said. “Drivers should not be wearing their eclipse glasses while they're driving. We're reminding folks not to try to view the eclipse while you're driving or take pictures on their phone. If you have a passenger, ask them to do that. If you want to view it, make sure you're pulling off safely somewhere away from the road.”
If you want to stop and view the eclipse, pull into a parking lot or another safe location away from the road.
For safety reasons, AAA is asking both drivers and law enforcement not to park on the side of highways or interstates during the eclipse.
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