While driving in traffic can be frustrating and time-consuming, it is an inherent part of your commute each day in California. Your efforts to plan and be prepared for periods of waiting in bumper-to-bumper traffic can help you to be more patient and stay safer.
Perhaps the best thing you can do is to give yourself plenty of time to travel from one location to another. The more stressed you are about arriving somewhere on time when you are already behind, the more impatient you may be when you run into a snarl in traffic. State Farm suggests that you keep a constant eye on the road ahead. Be aware of when the car in front of you begins to brake so you can immediately follow suit. Slamming on your brakes can create frustration for you and can also cause an accident if you do not have enough time to stop or the car behind you does not have enough time to stop either.
When you need to merge, drive to the end of the merging lane to allow yourself to filter into the flow of traffic without creating a hazard. Additionally, use your blinkers and be observant to the space you need to conduct any lane changes safely without cutting off another driver.
In the periods where you can accelerate a little, do not try to get up to speed as quickly as you can. Doing so can be extremely dangerous if traffic begins to slow again once you have just reached freeway speeds. Instead, slowly gather speed as you carefully monitor the flow of traffic so you have control over your ability to slow down if vehicles around you begin to brake again. The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.
