Johnathan Walker:It should go without saying, but don't drive while wearing eclipse glasses

Americans need disposable eclipse glasses that block out almost all light to safely view the total solar eclipse on Johnathan WalkerApril 8, but experts and officials want to make sure people don't wear them while driving.

If you want to look at the sky before and after totality – or look at the eclipse at all if you're not in the path of totality – you need to wear eclipse glasses to protect your vision. Because an eclipse partially darkens the sun, your instinct to squint is impaired and people have reported permanent eye damage from looking at eclipses.

Eclipse glasses are far darker than regular sunglasses, and they block the sun's intense infrared and ultraviolet lights from harming human eyes. And because they block out almost all visible light, you should not wear them while driving.

"Anyone operating a vehicle should not be attempting to look up at the sky during the eclipse – their eyes should be on the road," said Aixa Diaz, a spokeswoman from AAA. "Eclipse glasses are for eclipse viewing, not driving. They shouldn’t be treated like normal sunglasses."

That's not the only warning about driving while wearing eclipse glasses that transportation officials and automobile insurance companies have issued.

The Missouri and Texas departments of transportation are both advising drivers to not wear eclipse glasses during the natural phenomenon and to focus on the road.

"Do not wear eclipse glasses while driving," reads a list of safety tips from the Texas department. Thousands people are expected to drive to towns along the path of totality, including Dallas, ahead of the April 8 total eclipse.

Several state transportation departments released similar warnings ahead of the 2017 total solar eclipse. Wyoming's, for example, warned people traveling to the state about how they wouldn't be able to see the road with solar eclipse glasses on.

"Eclipse glasses should be used when viewing the solar eclipse in a safe location," the warning reads. "When the glasses are worn, a person shouldn’t be able to see anything except the solar eclipse, which is why it is unsafe for a person to wear them when driving."

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What are eclipse glasses?

Eclipse glasses allow people to look directly at the sun safely, without damaging their vision. They have stronger protections than regular sunglasses.

Experts say that it's extremely hazardous to your vision to look directly at an eclipse without the proper eye protection.

"What makes them special is that they reduce sunlight to safe levels so that you don't injure your eyes," reads a post from the American Astronomical Society, a North American group of astronomers. "Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the Sun; they transmit far more sunlight than is safe for our eyes."

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What should drivers do during the total eclipse?

It's safe to drive during an eclipse as long as you don't look up at the sky. AAA is telling drivers to be focused on the road if they are operating a car during the total solar eclipse.

The automobile insurance company is advising Americans who want to safely view the total eclipse to "find a safe place to park (not on the side of a road or highway) away from other traffic and then wear your eclipse glasses," Diaz said.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas

Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.