Ontario Provincial Police are urging motorists to be safe during the solar eclipse and to not wear protective glasses while driving.
Lambton County will experience a partial eclipse between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Monday as the moon covers 99 per cent of the sun. Other areas of Ontario, including Chatham-Kent, are expected to experience a total eclipse.
The peak of the rare celestial event is expected to occur around 3:15 p.m.
Gazers are urged to wear proper protective glasses during the event or risk permanent eye damage.
However, Lambton OPP Cst. Jamie Bydeley said the specialized glasses are more similar to a welding shield than regular sunglasses, so they're asking motorists to not use them while behind the wheel.
"They're a lot darker than sunglasses would be so they will definitely hinder your ability to see things on the roadway, to see people walking — pedestrians, things like that," he said.
Bydeley also said those planning to watch the eclipse should not do so from the road as heavier than normal traffic conditions are anticipated.
"We're not wanting people to just pull over onto shoulders to watch. You're impeding traffic, there's safety concerns there, especially with people getting out of vehicles," he said. "So we're asking that you find a place to park your vehicle off of the roadway to watch the eclipse if that's what you're coming to do. Make sure you're not trespassing on people's private property."
During the eclipse, OPP officers will be out as part of regular traffic monitoring.
"Our officers have received [messages] about tips to keep us safe … But we're going to continue to do our jobs, we're not going to let the eclipse change our response to issues that may come up," he said.
The eclipse is not expected to happen again in the area for another 126 years.