Solar eclipse is Monday: 7 things to do if you’re driving that day

Millions of people are expected to flock to the 15 states that will experience the path of totality – the area of greatest darkness – for Monday’s solar eclipse. The rest of the country will be treated to varying degrees of the eclipse.

Depending on how close you are to the path of totality will determine what you will see and how long it will last. The longest duration of totality is 4 minutes, 28 seconds, near Torreón, Mexico. Most places along the path of totality will see the sun blocked out for between 3.5 and 4 minutes.

Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee are along the path of totality.

In the U.S., the path of totality will start in Texas at 1:27 p.m. CT and will end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. ET (2:25 CT.) In those states, the periods of greatest darkness will reach up to 4 minutes, 27 seconds. You can see NASA’s map showing the path of totality below.

Driving during the eclipse

Crowds eager to see the eclipse are expected to be huge. According to AAA, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio are the most popular cities for eclipse viewers, followed by Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo. In Dallas alone, Hertz rental car company said it’s seeing six times more reservations than last year at this same time.

If you are driving during the eclipse, AAA has 7 safety tips to know:

Keep your vehicle’s headlights on.
Put the sun visor down to block your view of the sun.
Don’t wear eclipse glasses while driving.
Don’t try to photograph or video the eclipse while driving.
Don’t pull over to the side of the road, highway, or interstate to view the eclipse.
Exit the roadway and park in a safe area away from traffic to view the eclipse.
Be mindful of pedestrians who may be walking around with their eyes on the sky.