Car accidents aren't uncommon in Los Angeles due to the city's heavy traffic. Those who are familiar with the area know to take back roads and neighborhood streets to avoid the most congested areas, but when tourism is at its peak, it's rush hour, or major events are happening, crashes are more likely. Whether you're visiting L.A. or you've been living there for some time, it's a good idea to get to know ways to avoid collisions in congested traffic. For example, do you know the best way to avoid a rear-end collision when there is little to no room to maneuver? Here are a few tips.
1. Keep a distance in front of you at all times
No matter how slow the traffic is, the last thing you want to do is ride too closely to the car ahead's bumper. If you're hit from behind, your vehicle has nowhere to go, and you hit the vehicle in front of you. Keep at least a single car's distance between your front bumper and the next vehicle. If someone merges, back off until there is space.
2. Avoid getting distracted
Another good tip is to avoid distraction. If you look away from the road for even a second or two, you may end up colliding with a vehicle that has to suddenly stop.
3. Make lane changes early
Finally, change lanes early, so you're not merging into a new lane at the last minute. This helps prevent traffic from slowing down and causing an accident.
4. Avoid Rush Hour
Los Angeles traffic is usually heavy on the freeways during morning and evening commutes. Weekday morning, the LA rush hour is roughly from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. The evening LA rush hours are around 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and later. On weekend nights, traffic heading into or out of Downtown L.A. and Hollywood can be heavy. During these rush hours at such a high traffic volume, accidents are much likely to happen so it’s advisable to simply avoid driving during these times or to use alternate routes off of the highway. These are four tips to help you avoid a collision. Stay safe, but if you are hit, know you can make a claim. Updated June 25, 2020. Discover Los Angeles explains that Los Angeles drivers should take great care during rush hour and avoid it whenever possible.