The Indiana Department of Transportation has released driving and safety tips for community members to follow as they prepare for the
increasing number of visitors to the state and area on Monday, April 8 for the total solar eclipse.
The department stated that hundreds of thousands of eclipse viewers are expected to flock to Indiana as the first total solar eclipse in seven years poses to shroud areas of the state in darkness, specifically around the southern Clinton County into Boone County area with northern areas, such as northern Clinton County and Carroll County experiencing upwards of 99% totality.
The path of totality spans across the state from Evansville to the outskirts of Fort Wayne and will shroud the area in darkness around 3 p.m. while other areas of the state will only experience the partial eclipse, which may begin from 1:30 p.m. and end around 4:30 p.m. in certain areas.
The department stated that community members should abide by guidelines set by the Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana State Police and Indiana Department of Homeland Security to ensure smooth travels across the state. The department urges drivers to plan ahead and prepare for potential delays in travel before, during and after the eclipse.
The department encourages community members to plan for the trip by planning to arrive to their destination early, pack supplies incase of traffic congestion, be aware of weather conditions and use 511in.org to check traffic conditions.
During the eclipse timings, community members are encouraged to maintain safe driving measures, watch for pedestrians and other traffic that may be attempting to view the eclipse, refrain from taking photos or videos of the event while driving and turn on headlights during the event due to the sudden darkness.
Following the event, community members are encouraged to allow traffic to diminish before leaving the viewing site, clean up after themselves and dispose of trash, designate a sober driver when necessary or have an alternate form of transportation and use 511in.org to play a route home.
The Indiana Department of Transportation stated that it will limit road closures and restrictions where they are possible on state routes to help with the traffic flow surrounding the eclipse.