I’d like to think of myself as a pretty astute driver in my hometown. I make sure to do all of the legal things like indicating when changing lanes, and stopping completely at stop signs even if no one is coming. Even when I do those things, I’m still pretty quick with reaction times and moving between gas and brake while driving during rush hour too. But, nothing could have prepared me for the hell that is LA traffic. Unless you’ve experienced it, it’s impossible to describe the lunacy that some people have as they swerve from lane to lane on Highway 101 and cut in front of you as you’re trying to get off at an exit.
Presuming you’re looking at renting a car in LA, make sure you have nerves of steel before you hit the streets. The locals don’t seem to think anything of their crazy driving style, but for me, a small town guy that thought he knew how the road rules worked, I was out of my element. When you’re trying to get onto the highway, the best advice I have is to just go for it. Drivers in the innermost lane will normally slow down if they see you revving into traffic. And, when trying to come off at an exit, just to make sure you don’t upset the other drivers on the road, don’t slow down until you absolutely have to. Lastly, when navigating the main roads in LA, like Hollywood Boulevard and the other hotspots, watch out for cars pulling into traffic from shopping centers and parking lots. Because cars are allowed to park on the sides of the streets in LA, there is zero visibility for anyone trying to pull out from behind them. To combat this, they normally swing right out into oncoming traffic and hope for the best. So, keep your guard up and best of luck on the streets of LA!
