In case you haven’t heard, Monday will bring the first total solar eclipse visible in the United States since 1979.

With that has come the usual warnings not to look at the eclipse, to avoid risking injury.

Especially if driving.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation advises that those who want to watch the moon blot out the sun on Monday first find a safe place to pull over before turning their eyes from the road to the skies.

In Iron Mountain, the eclipse will start about 11:53 a.m. Central time and peak at 1:15 p.m. — not a total eclipse here, but a respectable 75 percent — before ending at 2:34 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

In much of Wisconsin, the moon will cover about 80 percent of the sun just after 1 p.m. That will be enough the DOT suggests anyone driving during the event switch on the low-beam headlights.

Dynamic signs along key highway corridors will carry messages about the eclipse and highway safety, the DOT states.

“We’re simply reminding motorists to remain focused on driving at all times, use common sense, and never stop along a roadway unless it’s an emergency,” said David Pabst, director of WisDOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety. “Any time that motorists stop along a highway, they put themselves and their passengers at risk of being struck, injured or killed by other vehicles.”

This might sound like stating the obvious, but it’s been a long time since the nation has had this prime a view of a solar eclipse — and we now are in a time when a natural reaction is to take out the cellphone and snap a photo or get some video footage, even while driving.

“For many people, this will be their first major solar eclipse, and some will want to capture the event on their smartphone or other electronic device,” Pabst said. “Along with taking steps to protect their eyes, we’re asking drivers to be smart and to resist distractions whenever they’re behind the wheel so everyone can reach their destinations safely.”

The other advisory making the rounds in advance of the eclipse is to keep pets indoors, though experts say it’s unlikely animals truly are at risk. Still, it doesn’t hurt to take precautions.

Let’s hope the weather cooperates to give all a wonderful — and safe — afternoon enjoying this rare celestial show.