what is eclipse traffic

Eclipse traffic refers to the heavy traffic volume that occurs during a solar eclipse, particularly on the days leading up to and following the event. The 2017 solar eclipse in the United States was a significant traffic event, with extremely high traffic volume expected Friday through Tuesday, and exceptionally high traffic on Monday after the eclipse, particularly for those returning from Wyoming. Street traffic greatly increased across the country in areas of the eclipses path. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimated that over 2700 miles out of 48,000 interstate highways would fall in the 2017 total solar eclipse. While some areas experienced far fewer traffic jams than expected, many people drove to places where they could experience maximum daytime darkness, leading to predictions that the day of the eclipse could be one of the nations worst traffic days. After the eclipse, there were traffic jams on tiny roads in the middle of nowhere, which Google Maps deemed quicker than the interstate.