30 Tips for LA Driving. In LA you don’t signal before switching lanes...

I’ve been driving for a long time, but I’m still learning new tricks. There’s no substitute for experience. That’s why NYC cab drivers have so much skill (some call it crazy, but I call it skill when you could squeeze past between 2 cars on a 2-car road). Just 10 years ago, after showing off my racing license (SCCA) to my dad, he beat me on the streets of LA during traffic. Now that I’ve driven 8 hours/day for Lyft and Uber in LA traffic, I’m ready for a rematch. Maybe. But I’ve still observed a lot in the past year.
 
I’ve always heard people complain about LA drivers. A typical one is that when you signal to get into the right lane, they speed up and won’t let you in. But a lot of these complaints exist because you don’t understand the psyche of the LA driver. For example, you tried to get in his lane during traffic (which is 12 hours/day), and he’s speeding up, thinking, “you can get in behind me.” By speeding up, he created space behind him for you. However, the driver behind him is thinking the same thing and speeds up. Now you end up waiting 5 cars until you get the nice driver who will let you in.
 
So here’s a Guide to LA Driving (or just driving in general) to help out the experienced drivers. Not for beginners. (Beginners should just drive safe)
 
I grew up in LA, so I learned LA driving the easy way – organically. And then when I drove for 9 years in a city that follows all the rules (San Jose), I noticed the stark contrast. And yes, LA drivers can hang with the NYC boys (without the honking), whereas San Jose kids will get eaten up by sharks (pun intended).

leaning on his right side means he's going to cut you off

Don't be nervous like the white car.

Yellow means Go

Always 2 cars per Yellow

Waze app

White car is the "car on the right"

There's a reason for the sign

Claim the lane by rolling on the line (no signaling)

1. Don’t signal to get into a lane. Wait for space and get into the lane first, and when your first tire gets into the lane, signal, out of courtesy. Then the other car will slow down and have to let you in.
2. Advanced technique: If cars still won’t let you in because of heavy traffic, quickly roll your tires on the line. It will make people think you’re a crazy driver about to crash into them, even though you stopped right at the line. Cars will instinctively slow down, and that’s when you attack and signal after. Then you give the courtesy wave of thanks so you don’t get shot.
3. If there’s no traffic, the turn signal makes the car next to you either speed up or slow down so you can get in the lane.
4. The turn signal is also used as an offensive maneuver. If there’s a tight space and the car next to you won’t slow down or speed up to let you in the next lane, signal and go in anyway. Signaling means “I’m going in whether you like it or not but at least I gave you a heads up.” This is easily mistaken for “bad LA drivers” but it’s actually offensive driving. This move is most effective when a car is speeding up to take the space next to you. That car has to slow down because you cut him off, but in LA you gotta do what you gotta do.
5. Parallel park quickly. And if you can't do it in 3 moves, get out! You can take your time only if there are no cars. And this isn't New York - you can't touch bumpers!
6. LA drivers don’t normally honk, but you should use your horn whenever you can to avoid an accident. Small city drivers don’t ever use their horn and just end up yelling, which does no good.
7. Use your high beam to alert people. This works great when you can’t honk, since he hasn’t done anything wrong...YET. For example, if you’re approaching an intersection, and there’s a car about to make a left in front of you, but he doesn’t realize you’re going 50mph. High beam him to say, “Hey, I’m coming.”
8. Double high beam flash the car in front of you, if he’s clogging up the fast lane. One high beam flash won’t do it, because it just looks like a bump in the road. Did you ever think someone high beamed you from behind, and then you realized his car was just bouncing? Also, if someone double flashes you from behind, move to the right. Let the crazy driver pass. Statistics show that there are more accidents due to slow drivers on the fast lane, and people try going around. btw, don’t double high beam flash a racecar. It means, “Let’s race.” He’ll slow down and wait for you to get beside him.
9. On the highway, 50% of the time, if a car is on the left side of his lane, he’s about to switch to the left. Same idea for the right. For example, if the car on your right is straddling the left side of his lane, he’s about to cut you off without signaling. Be aware or speed up.
10. Even if you’re mad or offended, don’t ever give the finger or yell at them. Traffic brings out the worst in people, and in LA, they might follow you home.
11. If an accident is blocking your lane on the highway, use the emergency lane as a new lane.
12. In LA, emergency lanes have gotten rare, to accommodate more lanes. So the center wall is right up against the #1 lane. Don’t be nervous. It’s safer to drive right up against the wall than to drive on the right edge of your lane. Because walls don’t move. Cars on the right do.
13. LA people don't know how to drive in the rain and drive way too slow (People in New York drive faster in the snow). LA drivers can weave in and out of these sitting ducks.
14. When there’s an accident on the side of the road, stop goose-necking (looking at the accident). Goose-necking slows down traffic. Keep your eyes on the road, unless you’re gonna get out and help as an EMT or off-duty police officer.
15. When making a left into a large street with no traffic lights, don’t wait for everything to be clear – you’ll wait forever. Go into the middle when your left side is clear, and then wait in the middle for the right side to clear. Some streets have a empty middle lane, but even if it doesn’t, cars will simply go around you. Advanced technique: instead of waiting, you can “merge” unto the right side by matching speed.
16. Do NOT stop at the intersection when the light is yellow, except for extreme safety reasons. Yellow means go faster. If you stop, you may get hit by the car behind you. The law says as long as you’re in the intersection before the light turns red, you’re good.
17. Related. Do NOT turn when the light is yellow. Wait for the cars to pass and it’s safe. In an accident, you will always be at fault, even if he “ran a red.” In LA, you turn when it’s red if you have to.
18. Related. Always Always, 2 cars turn per yellow light, not 1. Even if the car in front waited long and is turning on a red, you follow him. The opposing traffic will understand. What people won’t understand is why you only let 1 car turn and thus waste the yellow light.
19. NEVER block the intersection. This happens when you mindlessly inch forward behind the car in front of you during heavy traffic. Don’t worry about some car taking the space in front of you and you spend 5 more seconds in traffic. Only cross the intersection if there’s space to do so. If you find yourself in the intersection and the light turns red, red does not mean stop. Quickly move to the right and out before people start crossing the street. You won’t get a ticket for moving. You’ll get a ticket if you stay in the intersection.
20. If you’re driving around 2 am, look both ways before crossing a green light. Drunk drivers will go right past a red light and T-bone you.
21. In LA traffic, Google maps is wrong half the time. Observe the red lines on the map, but go with your instinct on the side streets. The app Waze does a great job going around LA traffic.
22. Carpool lanes are 24/7, unlike places outside Socal when there are times anyone can ride.
23. The “California Roll” doesn’t mean you drive right past a stop sign. It means you slow down for safety and proceed before your car loses forward momentum. (Pump the brake hard once and let go.) This makes traffic flow more quickly. Generally.
24. If the traffic report says “accident on the #2 lane,” you count from the left, not the right. So, the #1 lane is the fast lane.
25. When you get to the 4-way stop intersection at the same time, most people don’t know the rule that the car on the “right” goes first. In LA, if the other guy hesitates, you go first. If you hesitate, he goes.
26. When there are sirens (police, ambulance, fire), don’t just stop. Get out the middle and veer to the right. Yes, when safe, just finish the left turn ahead of schedule instead of sitting there like an idiot. And when the siren is gone, don’t get in front of the next car. People get mad if you don’t get back in order.
27. In LA, pedestrians don’t have full right of way. Cars will go around you even if you’re not done crossing the street.
28. If the sign says “No right turn on red” but cars are honking at you to turn, figure out why the sign exists. There’s usually a dedicated left turn lane that goes into the street, or this is a 5 or 6 lane intersection. Check if the opposing lane is clear and then safely make the turn. But watch out for cops.
29. If you’re making a turn and there’s no left turn lane, signal way beforehand, like a block before, or else cars behind you will be pissed.
30. If the car in front of you is making a left when the sign says “No left 4pm-7pm” honk like crazy. He’s committing the unforgivable sin. One exception is if you get to the intersection right as the light turns red and the coast is clear. Now you’re an LA driver.​​

---