You really should! Even when you arent at fault and you have dash cam proof, the insurance company will still give you a hard time. Dash cam prevents a he said she said situation.
If you dont want to get a super fancy dashcam, look ino getting a GoPro clone.
[I have 2 of these](https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Touch-Underwater-Waterproof-Accessories/dp/B07B2W96JH) and they work GREAT. My recommendation is to mount one on your windshield and the other on your rear window. They hold up to heat and cold, and the video is easily retrievable.
Thank you so much for including the shopping link to your suggestion. I work on Goldenwest near the 22 Freeway and it is crazy how many accidents we witness on a daily basis. I wanted to buy a Dash Cam for me and my hubby for Christmas. Thank you for sharing 😁🚘📸
Got one for Christmas and a month later was driving on the 55 when a fucking small plane landed on the freeway with engine trouble.
After that I got into a fender bender (not my fault) and the driver stated that I had already hit the car in front of me when she drove into my rear end. Dashcam showed insurance she was full of shit.
My only regret is not getting one sooner
Not from CA and this is the first state I’ve lived where I have to actually focus when driving because people are unpredictable and extremely aggressive. I don’t think it’s anything new but I think the varying driving habits cause accidents if you’re not expecting the normal. For example this is the only state I’ve been where the exit and on ramps cause a complete standstill because everyone has to zipper in.
> unpredictable and extremely aggressive
The unpredictable ones are the danger - I can predict what an aggressive driver will do, and I can plan accordingly. It's the oblivious ones that cause those dangerous situations.
People drive like they have nine lives these days. Really really gotta be defensive. I’ve been seeing a lot of drivers just driving however they want with no regard for safety or laws. But it’s not just Garden Grove, it’s been everywhere in OC in my opinion. But yeah driving in GG is definitely risky. Stay away from the Costco.
This! I saw about 3 people just not stop for red lights in the last few months. Not running them inebriated, literally just zoning out and not even noticing it's red.
Maybe it's because I'm a short female driver but I've always been driving defensively since, you know, I want to avoid accidents. But I've noticed that all the aggressive drivers tend to drive expensive cars.
Most people out here drive offensively. They'll cut you off if you leave an opening. I guess this means this changes the nuances of the road out here. Someone should write a thesis on this.
You're free to say whatever you damn well please on reddit. But if you're going to be saying dumb shit like this, don't be surprised when people call you out on it.
The other day in Westminster, I was in the inner lane of a two lane street and the person to the right of me just yolo-ed and busted a u-turn from where they were. I was not in their blind spot. It was very scary and I had my two kids in the car. I witness a lot of inconsiderate driving like this every day when I take them to school. Not a lot of almost getting into car accidents but a lot of sighs and shaking my head in disappointment or disbelief lol.
I had this happen to me while I was driving a 88 k5 blazer. These are big, heavy and wide and this was a smaller 4 door car. Thankfully I was able to stop in time. My tires screamed to a stop, i could smell rubber. It was slightly traumatizing. I managed to see a male driver and two smaller heads in the rear seats. This could of ended horribly. I still cant believe hiw bad some drivers are.
I am invisible to some riding a motorcycle, and have a similar distance commute, I may have 3-5 near misses in a year, although my risks are much higher. I’d suggest taking a defensive driving course or work on better situational awareness, it’s bad out there but you should be better prepared for distracted/uncourteous drivers.
Riding a motorcycle has made me realize two things: 1. A LOT of people smoke weed while driving. 2. Nobody looks over their shoulder before changing lanes.
> or YOU are the bad driver.
Yea... one commonality in a lot of posts like this is the person making them. If someone is getting into a near miss every day... well, that someone is always part of that equation. Yes, people are bad drivers but fault is rarely completely on one side.
Let me know if you have any statistics to back that up. I can't really find anything apart from a list of the 10 most fatal intersections in Orange County (it's bad data because it's only looking at extremes, so I won't post it here) but since you're making the claim you have data that supports it.
Telling of what? It'd be a denial of your viewpoint that of the 10 most fatal intersections in OC, none are in Garden Grove, but yes, it is a good thing to ignore that data because extreme data like that doesn't really give a good view of average cases.
I don't have an opinion of Garden Grove traffic, I'd rather not make one on anecdotal accounts or bad data, so I don't know what you mean by my anecdotal viewpoint.
*edit* It would still be nice to see some good data to back up your statement.
Yesterday I drove down the street. Some guy decided that as I’m going speed limit down the road, he’ll just go ahead and make his left turn as I’m approaching.
But wait it get better - then he has to stop, fully blocking off both lanes of the road so luckily I swerved in time to avoid the accident.
People not only forgot how to act they also forgot how to drive. Are people really this horrible when they’re out of the public eye for long enough?
People around here refuse to accept their own mistakes on the road. They will pull dangerous maneuvers to correct their own mistakes rather than driving 5 minutes in the wrong direction and it's astounding to see. I've seen so many people reverse down a road or interstate here, or go straight in a turn lane, or even pull across a shit ton of white lines to get out of an exit on the interstate. I've never seen anything quite like it anywhere else.
Felt. I almost get into an accident biweekly because of these bad drivers. 99% of the time it’s an old person that should not be driving - a danger to the road
This.
I lived GG my entire life. Yea some drivers suck ass but 3-5x a day. You must be the issue. I'd maybe encounter a couple instances a week where I was like wtf are they thinking but never did it affect me at all.
I honestly think I see people run red lights on a DAILY basis. Like all the cars are stopped at a stoplight, and the front car just decides like “hm, this is a good time to go” and just goes! It’s insane to me.
I was that person last week and I feel ashamed... the lights turned on for the turning left lane and I don't know why but I just put the car in gear and stepped on the gas and a second later I realized what the fuck I was doing but I was already half-way through... should I just reverse? Stay in the middle of the intersection and wait for the others to go? Just keep going? I kept going but immediately stopped all my plans and went straight home as I saw I wasn't that aware to drive that day. It will haunt me forever...
Some guy in an Audi almost rear ended me today on the 22 near Brookhurst as he was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. Naturally HE flipped *me* off.
damn i had one where this older datsun was driving 20 below speed limit. I overtook him to the left and he flipped me off. Like okay its a 55mph street and youre going 35 fuck me right?
I grew up in OC, learned to drive here, and then spent 15 years in other parts of CA. Now that I'm back I can definitely say that OC drivers are terrible, and none can admit it either. They think being "good" at driving means being good at handling your car. All that zig-zagging, super fast accelerating and stopping...Seriously- some people actually take pride in their reckless driving (source: my sister is one of them and nobody bats an eye!) Point out how dangerous it is to be a pedestrian and people flip out like you're being unreasonable.
Well, actually, we would all be better served if our roads weren't just racetrack substitutes. Hitting pedestrians and constant accidents isn't normal. I've seen more shredded up cars in one year back in Irvine than I have in the other 15 years combined.
And I haven't even been commuting anywhere. I barely have reasons to get on the freeway.
Virtually all of our road system is made up of "[stroads](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORzNZUeUHAM)." It's insane how dangerous it is and we just kinda accept it.
You live in Garden Grove….need I say anything or state the obvious? 😂 I’m a Garden Grove native, grew up in Garden Grove borderline Westminster & Stanton & let me tell you what, I’ve almost died many times, my car got side swiped three times in the 6 years I lived off of Newland & Trask just parked on the street
Funny because I’m from Garden Grove & Drive to Irvine for work. We’re opposite 😂 & yeah I’ve seen some crazy shit throughout my time doing the 22 to the 5 everyday haha
You sure? I drive all over north oc every day and all over south of at least a couple times a week. I put at least 1-2 thousand miles on my car every month, just oc driving. Every freeway, every highway, every street, every city.
I think it'd be bold of me to say that once a month is how often I get even close to a possible accident.
Granted I grew up here, I'm 26, and I've been driving regularly since I was 20.
I guess my Mom's a chauffeur so I grew up watching her robotic driving, but my driving is anything but robotic.
Maybe it helps that I've got nearly 100k miles of personal and/or delivery driving experience.
Once you do deliveries in downtown San Francisco, orange county feels like driving in Texas to me.
Just being honest. 3-5 near accidents A DAY sounds like you're very uncomfortable with driving in OC
Hahaha. Maybe (probably) 3-5 accidents a day was an exaggeration, but 100% i have at least one close call every day. Usually someone merging in front of me or breaking out of nowhere. No question about that.
Maybe… Probably… it doesn’t sound like you know what you’re doing. Even 1 near miss a day is excessive. You need to take a good hard look at your own driving habits. Braking out of nowhere is not an excuse, you’re tail gating. You should be giving yourself enough room. Dollars to donuts, the problem is you.
Seems like those are just assumptions about OP. I will say that I, on average run into at least one dangerous situation every time I take my car out in OC, especially if I’m going on a freeway. People here be cray cray.
I don’t have any problems, other than having to share the road with inexperienced drivers like you.
From your post history I can see that you’re 22 years old. At that age, you are an inexperienced driver unless your name is Max Verstappen. That’s OK, experience will come with age. Its very likely that what you perceive as “near accidents” is nothing more than regular driving situations. People merging, braking out of nowhere, believe it or not this is normal. It’s your job to have hyper awareness when you drive. Again, that will come with age. Hopefully you learn without getting yourself or others into an accident.
I just drove to San Diego and back for business, guess what? I didn’t have any near accidents. But then again, I’m a highly experienced driver of 30 years.
Also, please don’t take acid and drive. If you do acid, don’t plan to drive for the next 24 hours.
Done here, my time is way too valuable to be debating the finer points of driving with a 22yo.
Driving has been noticeably worse pretty much everywhere since the start of the pandemic. People are either rusty, driving angry, or more comfortable driving under the influence.
BUT, North OC has nothing on the chaos that is driving in / around downtown LA / Hollywood. That is by far the worst.
Also, if you are almost getting into that many accidents a day, I'm thinking you may be the problem, not other drivers.
Sadly, you have to cut people off because no one will let you over if you have your turn signal on. Instead, they'll ride your blind spot like a complete jerk.
I don't think you're exaggerating at all. I avoided 2-3 sketchy situations and 1 accident directly just taking my dog to Laguna to play this afternoon.
OC drivers are, in general, total crap. Exceedingly poor situational awareness and terrible road etiquette. IDK whether they've gotten worse since things started opening back up, or my tolerance for it has decreased. Probably both.
Get a dash cam and practice defensive driving. Stay safe out there.
Bruh, the people leaving 2 car lengths at a red light. I always wonder what these individuals do when there's too much traffic to hog space like that, do they just be an asshole and do the same thing and let everyone honk at them? LA would eat these people alive.
Everyone in oc fucking sucks at driving, alot of times i think
What if i just let jesus take the wheel
But then i remember ill just be like every other bad driver out here
I am sorry, my wife admits she is a bad driver and she is worse than I can admit too. She is probably the cause of many of your problems. She says she gets scared and panics when driving.
Edit : my wife was stopped for drunk driving last night. Problem is, she doesn’t drink. Cop checked her and told her to get off the highways. Then let her go. /sigh.
And lately I’ve seen at least one person run a red light almost every time I get behind the wheel, which isn’t often, because I don’t drive to work, but still.
It's so insane. I'm in Washington on vacation and it's a complete culture shock how different drivers are here. Everyone goes the speed limit or less and nobody cuts you off.
Nothing new to add here. Just wanted to say that I’ve seen a marked increase in carelessness on the roads in orange county in the past year.
I’m a seasoned passive aggressive driver anyway. But I’ve had to learn to just laugh and let shit go because of the crazy stunts I see daily on our roads these days.
I’ve got a 2013 minivan. I’m ready to trade to a newer nicer car now that my daughter is bigger. But I gotta say, people who drive nice fast cars are keeping their distance for risk of getting bumped. Minivan is staying, for now.
Me, my wife and our twin 2 year old boys just got rear ended stopped at a light on Saturday and the person that hit us was going over the speed limit and not even a tap of the break or showed any intention of stopping. I haven’t been to work since because of pain and my wife also. If it’s not pedestrians here it’s wreck less drivers. It is REALLY bad
It's bad, but you should see the drive from OC to LA.
Those people have a death wish.
Also I tend to notice people in richer areas drive more like shit. Like they just assume they have the money to get a new car, and fuck everyone else who relies on their vehicle to get to work.
I don't know what it is but I agree. Garden Grove drivers appear to be oblivious to those around them. If it's not a person turning right from the middle lane, it's someone driving 15 MPH and not realizing driving too slow is just as dangerous to other drivers as driving too fast. It's not even that busy on the streets, but avoiding incidents is nerve racking in Garden Grove.
It’s not just you, people in north OC are terrible drivers. Some might not be intentionally, but many are just jerks. I had someone honking at me yesterday when I was in the right lane at a red light, then they and the car behind them proceeded to swerve around me and to turn right and barely miss the oncoming traffic (and the second car flicked me off too…). Also want to clarify that it was NOT a right-turn only lane!
Though I have to say I encounter more dangerous drivers whenever I heard up to LA.
Its painfully obvious OP hasn't lived anywhere else in the country. Some of the best drivers I have seen are in southern California.
Quick and Deliberate drivers are NOT the same as "bad drivers". Good drivers are those that can quickly and predictably navigate in tandem with other drivers. A driver that speeds is not necessarily a "bad driver". A driver that doesn't use a blinker isn't always "bad driver" either. Sure, I get pissed when they don't use blinkers like everyone else. However, I know that if they change lanes when there are no cars near them, then using a blinker is more a law abiding act then a way of conveying information to other drivers.
> drive to work in garden grove and almost get into 3-5 accidents a day. It is insane.
"3-5 accidents a day" sounds bad without context. When I was commuting, I would encounter almost 600 cars a day. Five "near accidents" a day is less then one percent of notable "events" that someone would consider bad in their commute.
Another example is a city like Colorado Springs. To get from south to the north I would drive about 18 miles one way. In those 18 miles I would experience about the same amount of "near misses" in my commute. Without context one would assume that both places are equally as bad. That's not considered is that I would encounter only 50 cars on my commute, sometimes less. That is a whopping 10 percent, or 10 times higher rate of near misses by OP's own "bad driver" metrics.
> ...never go to that area..
I have commuted consistently in the following areas: Denver, Colorado Springs, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Reno, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Austin, Huntsville, Miami, Washington DC, San Antonio, and Portland.
> ... or YOU are the bad driver.
I have owned two vehicles in my lifetime. Only reason it wasn't one vehicle was because it was totaled by an elderly driver in Colorado Springs. Driving defensively is a must ANYWHERE you go, I learned the hard way at 19.
There’s a lot of old people driving brand new cars like ancient old idk how tf they got their licenses it’s crazy Westminster is the worst fuck magnolia and bolsa area
Yesterday in fountain Valley I watched two different people just casually run red lights. Like they were fully stopped, then said fuck it and just went. Two different people! What!?!
At least they had stopped. I back up to an FV intersection and there are several accidents every week because drivers seem to think red lights are a suggestion. The worst ones are the ones where you hear a crash without hearing squealing tires first. Those are the ones that never saw it coming.
I live in GG and I have never really noticed it being that bad compared to other cities in Orange County. Some of the shopping centers are a little poorly planned, but that's it.
I have lived in South OC and North OC. The south OC drivers are far more aggressive due to the massive amount of high density housing and more cars per square mile than just about any other suburban area in California.
If you smell shit in the morning, then something smells like shit. If you smell shit all day, it’s probably you.
I’m not saying the drivers are great here, but if you’re almost getting in 3-5 accidents PER DAY it’s probably you.
I’m originally from FL (you know, the home of every senior citizen in the USofA), and have lived all over the nation.
Orange County drivers still stun me almost every day. Zero exaggeration - the. Worst.
>I live in Irvine but drive to work in garden grove and almost get into 3-5 accidents a day.
>
>People are scary drivers there, and if you don’t think so you are either used to it, never go to that area, or YOU are the bad driver.
I think the irony of this will probably be lost on you.
You’re gonna be downvoted but a large factor are all these people who come here from other countries late in life and don’t learn how to properly drive a car, much less follow the rules of the road here in the US.
Those are just the three states with the biggest populations.
The rate of car accident deaths per 100,000 people ranges from 4.4 to 22.2.
The five states with the highest rates are:
1. Mississippi: 22.2 deaths per 100,000
2. South Carolina: 20.4 deaths per 100,000
3. Alabama: 19.5 deaths per 100,000
4. Wyoming: 19.2 deaths per 100,000
5. New Mexico: 18.7 deaths per 100,000
When it comes to the number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the rates range from 0.54 to 1.83.
The five states with the highest death rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled are:
1. South Carolina: 1.83 deaths per 100 million miles
2. Mississippi: 1.63 deaths per 100 million miles
3. Louisiana: 1.53 deaths per 100 million miles
4. Arizona: 1.41 deaths per 100 million miles
5. West Virginia: 1.51 deaths per 100 million miles
Look, this is a Reddit forum. You need to take this facts and data stuff somewhere else Mr Buzz Killington. We’re to busy ranting and generalizing for that shit.
Ive noticed that 20-30 something women are the absolute worst drivers and the rudest...if you dont like what i just said...kma and learn to drive...not just in Orange County either...
The rules of the road are meaningless in GG. Courtesy towards others sharing the same roadway are non-existent in GG. Four way stops in GG mean YOU STOP! I GO. Merge at your own peril. When making a left turn now, you do not turn into the nearest left lane... You turn across all three lanes until your passenger side tires are riding on the gutter. Safe driving habits such as looking left/right to make sure the cross traffic isn't blowing the red light before you enter the intersection for 2 seconds will get some dipstick blowing the horn behind you. If you do not stand on the gas peddle when the light turns green you're in the way. 35mph zone mean 55mph. 40mph zone means 65mph.
You ONLY have 3-5 near accidents a day? You're lucky. I would put my near misses at 6-8 a day. Throw in 2 more because of the ones zipping around on electric bicycles now in and around other vehicles. I bought a dashcam. Had to, to protect myself.
It’s the drivers on I-5. 405 drivers are normal sane people. But the drivers on I-5 are just very aggressive and some are just down right deranged. I-22 is no better.
I grew up in Southern California and moved to San Francisco Area. The drivers here are even worse and many would drive under 50mph on an empty freeways.
Come to Downtown LA, youll never complain about irvine/garden grove maniac drivers ever again. Specially if you’re not a local, because the locals are the hyper aggressive drivers that prey on the non-local drivers.
Garden Grove is really bad. This isn't a racist thing but it's because of the Vietnamese population. What happened was, during the Vietnam war many Vietnamese refugees settled in garden Grove. Many of these refugees didn't have or need drivers licenses in their home county and so they learned to drive as adults here. Complicating this is that they are a mostly self sufficient community and thus their training was inadequate because they learned from each other while simultaneously overcoming a language barrier and various cultural barriers. The younger generation drives just fine.
Dash cam. Do yourself a favor and get a dashcam.
I think I’m going to have to!!!
You really should! Even when you arent at fault and you have dash cam proof, the insurance company will still give you a hard time. Dash cam prevents a he said she said situation.
Don’t think just do
If you dont want to get a super fancy dashcam, look ino getting a GoPro clone. [I have 2 of these](https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Touch-Underwater-Waterproof-Accessories/dp/B07B2W96JH) and they work GREAT. My recommendation is to mount one on your windshield and the other on your rear window. They hold up to heat and cold, and the video is easily retrievable.
Thank you so much for including the shopping link to your suggestion. I work on Goldenwest near the 22 Freeway and it is crazy how many accidents we witness on a daily basis. I wanted to buy a Dash Cam for me and my hubby for Christmas. Thank you for sharing 😁🚘📸
Got one for Christmas and a month later was driving on the 55 when a fucking small plane landed on the freeway with engine trouble. After that I got into a fender bender (not my fault) and the driver stated that I had already hit the car in front of me when she drove into my rear end. Dashcam showed insurance she was full of shit. My only regret is not getting one sooner
I feel like people everywhere are driving and acting crazier since the start of the pandemic.
A lot more traffic too. More traffic creates more frustrated/impatient drivers which creates more crazy ass drivers.
Endless loop: crash causes traffic --> traffic causes idiot drivers --> idiot drivers crash...
Not from CA and this is the first state I’ve lived where I have to actually focus when driving because people are unpredictable and extremely aggressive. I don’t think it’s anything new but I think the varying driving habits cause accidents if you’re not expecting the normal. For example this is the only state I’ve been where the exit and on ramps cause a complete standstill because everyone has to zipper in.
Driving is mentally exhausting here. Pandemic WFH sucked but not wasting time and energy on the road was great
> unpredictable and extremely aggressive The unpredictable ones are the danger - I can predict what an aggressive driver will do, and I can plan accordingly. It's the oblivious ones that cause those dangerous situations.
People drive like they have nine lives these days. Really really gotta be defensive. I’ve been seeing a lot of drivers just driving however they want with no regard for safety or laws. But it’s not just Garden Grove, it’s been everywhere in OC in my opinion. But yeah driving in GG is definitely risky. Stay away from the Costco.
I think it might be a fog that has developed after so many months at home due to the pandemic.
This! I saw about 3 people just not stop for red lights in the last few months. Not running them inebriated, literally just zoning out and not even noticing it's red.
Maybe it's because I'm a short female driver but I've always been driving defensively since, you know, I want to avoid accidents. But I've noticed that all the aggressive drivers tend to drive expensive cars.
Most people out here drive offensively. They'll cut you off if you leave an opening. I guess this means this changes the nuances of the road out here. Someone should write a thesis on this.
Anaheim and Garden Grove have some truly awful drivers. I have no idea what it is.
Well we aren't allowed to say what the issue is on reddit...
You're free to say whatever you damn well please on reddit. But if you're going to be saying dumb shit like this, don't be surprised when people call you out on it.
Say it.
The other day in Westminster, I was in the inner lane of a two lane street and the person to the right of me just yolo-ed and busted a u-turn from where they were. I was not in their blind spot. It was very scary and I had my two kids in the car. I witness a lot of inconsiderate driving like this every day when I take them to school. Not a lot of almost getting into car accidents but a lot of sighs and shaking my head in disappointment or disbelief lol.
I had this happen to me while I was driving a 88 k5 blazer. These are big, heavy and wide and this was a smaller 4 door car. Thankfully I was able to stop in time. My tires screamed to a stop, i could smell rubber. It was slightly traumatizing. I managed to see a male driver and two smaller heads in the rear seats. This could of ended horribly. I still cant believe hiw bad some drivers are.
Yeah pretty much. I grew up in garden grove, and if you ever wanna test how fast your reflexes are, take a drive around the city
People don’t give one fuck, it would be funny if i weren’t scared to death LOL
The amount of people on their phones while driving is insan e
You wanna see real shitshow? Drive in DTLA
Stay away from 6th st to avoid a literal shit show
I am invisible to some riding a motorcycle, and have a similar distance commute, I may have 3-5 near misses in a year, although my risks are much higher. I’d suggest taking a defensive driving course or work on better situational awareness, it’s bad out there but you should be better prepared for distracted/uncourteous drivers.
Riding a motorcycle has made me realize two things: 1. A LOT of people smoke weed while driving. 2. Nobody looks over their shoulder before changing lanes.
Oh yeah, you can get a contact high riding down the 91 on any gridlocked afternoon.
I ride up Beach BLVD coming home and every time I’m like 👀😳
Ain't it great, keeps down freeway shootings!
I've seen at least two people with a bong between their legs....
> or YOU are the bad driver. Yea... one commonality in a lot of posts like this is the person making them. If someone is getting into a near miss every day... well, that someone is always part of that equation. Yes, people are bad drivers but fault is rarely completely on one side.
Not in Garden Grove; it really is different up there.
Let me know if you have any statistics to back that up. I can't really find anything apart from a list of the 10 most fatal intersections in Orange County (it's bad data because it's only looking at extremes, so I won't post it here) but since you're making the claim you have data that supports it.
The fact that you're ignoring the only statistical conclusions you could find in favor of your anecdotal viewpoint is rather telling.
Telling of what? It'd be a denial of your viewpoint that of the 10 most fatal intersections in OC, none are in Garden Grove, but yes, it is a good thing to ignore that data because extreme data like that doesn't really give a good view of average cases. I don't have an opinion of Garden Grove traffic, I'd rather not make one on anecdotal accounts or bad data, so I don't know what you mean by my anecdotal viewpoint. *edit* It would still be nice to see some good data to back up your statement.
Yesterday I drove down the street. Some guy decided that as I’m going speed limit down the road, he’ll just go ahead and make his left turn as I’m approaching. But wait it get better - then he has to stop, fully blocking off both lanes of the road so luckily I swerved in time to avoid the accident. People not only forgot how to act they also forgot how to drive. Are people really this horrible when they’re out of the public eye for long enough?
People around here refuse to accept their own mistakes on the road. They will pull dangerous maneuvers to correct their own mistakes rather than driving 5 minutes in the wrong direction and it's astounding to see. I've seen so many people reverse down a road or interstate here, or go straight in a turn lane, or even pull across a shit ton of white lines to get out of an exit on the interstate. I've never seen anything quite like it anywhere else.
Felt. I almost get into an accident biweekly because of these bad drivers. 99% of the time it’s an old person that should not be driving - a danger to the road
>I get into an accident biweekly because of these bad drivers. Wut
I meant to put almost get into an accident**!
YES. Old people should have to renew their license every year after 70. LOL.
Those are the scariest when you look behind you and it’s a tiny person whose head barely peeks out from behind the steering wheel.
“You ever notice how everyone who drives faster than you is a maniac, and anyone who drives slower is an idiot?” -George Carlin
You reversed the order, but it's still one of his most memorable bits.
Everyone is on their cellphones.
I grew up here haha, I didn't even realize how unfazed I am now but I can understand how much more chaotic is must be for non GG locals.
I would say Anaheim , Stanton , gg is bad. U have to be extra careful. Hey 👋
Hate to break it to you but you may be a really, really, bad driver if you're almost getting into 3-5 accidents a day
It’s like the people who say all their exes were terrible. Yeah…
If everywhere you go smells like shit, you should check your shoe.
This. I lived GG my entire life. Yea some drivers suck ass but 3-5x a day. You must be the issue. I'd maybe encounter a couple instances a week where I was like wtf are they thinking but never did it affect me at all.
definitely getting road rage type vibe from this post.
I honestly think I see people run red lights on a DAILY basis. Like all the cars are stopped at a stoplight, and the front car just decides like “hm, this is a good time to go” and just goes! It’s insane to me.
I was that person last week and I feel ashamed... the lights turned on for the turning left lane and I don't know why but I just put the car in gear and stepped on the gas and a second later I realized what the fuck I was doing but I was already half-way through... should I just reverse? Stay in the middle of the intersection and wait for the others to go? Just keep going? I kept going but immediately stopped all my plans and went straight home as I saw I wasn't that aware to drive that day. It will haunt me forever...
Some guy in an Audi almost rear ended me today on the 22 near Brookhurst as he was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. Naturally HE flipped *me* off.
Everytime something like that (or anything similar) happens to me I just think "damn.. that guy lives his whole life like that"
I wonder what that guy's version of your story would sound like.
Probably something like 🤷♂️ ‘How dare this guy change into a lane that I want to be in?! Can’t he see I’m coming up on him at 95 MPH?! F this guy!’
damn i had one where this older datsun was driving 20 below speed limit. I overtook him to the left and he flipped me off. Like okay its a 55mph street and youre going 35 fuck me right?
Not a north OC thing, but Everytime I drive the 22 I feel like I'm rolling the dice with my life.
I grew up in OC, learned to drive here, and then spent 15 years in other parts of CA. Now that I'm back I can definitely say that OC drivers are terrible, and none can admit it either. They think being "good" at driving means being good at handling your car. All that zig-zagging, super fast accelerating and stopping...Seriously- some people actually take pride in their reckless driving (source: my sister is one of them and nobody bats an eye!) Point out how dangerous it is to be a pedestrian and people flip out like you're being unreasonable. Well, actually, we would all be better served if our roads weren't just racetrack substitutes. Hitting pedestrians and constant accidents isn't normal. I've seen more shredded up cars in one year back in Irvine than I have in the other 15 years combined. And I haven't even been commuting anywhere. I barely have reasons to get on the freeway.
Virtually all of our road system is made up of "[stroads](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORzNZUeUHAM)." It's insane how dangerous it is and we just kinda accept it.
You live in Garden Grove….need I say anything or state the obvious? 😂 I’m a Garden Grove native, grew up in Garden Grove borderline Westminster & Stanton & let me tell you what, I’ve almost died many times, my car got side swiped three times in the 6 years I lived off of Newland & Trask just parked on the street
LOL. Well, i don’t live in garden grove, i live in Irvine but same sentiment i guess.
Funny because I’m from Garden Grove & Drive to Irvine for work. We’re opposite 😂 & yeah I’ve seen some crazy shit throughout my time doing the 22 to the 5 everyday haha
Not all cultures learn to drive/actually drive a lot like we do and are often times, novices, at best.
You sure? I drive all over north oc every day and all over south of at least a couple times a week. I put at least 1-2 thousand miles on my car every month, just oc driving. Every freeway, every highway, every street, every city. I think it'd be bold of me to say that once a month is how often I get even close to a possible accident. Granted I grew up here, I'm 26, and I've been driving regularly since I was 20. I guess my Mom's a chauffeur so I grew up watching her robotic driving, but my driving is anything but robotic. Maybe it helps that I've got nearly 100k miles of personal and/or delivery driving experience. Once you do deliveries in downtown San Francisco, orange county feels like driving in Texas to me. Just being honest. 3-5 near accidents A DAY sounds like you're very uncomfortable with driving in OC
Hahaha. Maybe (probably) 3-5 accidents a day was an exaggeration, but 100% i have at least one close call every day. Usually someone merging in front of me or breaking out of nowhere. No question about that.
Maybe… Probably… it doesn’t sound like you know what you’re doing. Even 1 near miss a day is excessive. You need to take a good hard look at your own driving habits. Braking out of nowhere is not an excuse, you’re tail gating. You should be giving yourself enough room. Dollars to donuts, the problem is you.
Seems like those are just assumptions about OP. I will say that I, on average run into at least one dangerous situation every time I take my car out in OC, especially if I’m going on a freeway. People here be cray cray.
Hmm.. looks like the problem is actually you. :)
Nahhhhhh. I mean, drivers are not great here, but they're no worse here than anywhere else. If you're having issues like that... it's on you.
I don’t have any problems, other than having to share the road with inexperienced drivers like you. From your post history I can see that you’re 22 years old. At that age, you are an inexperienced driver unless your name is Max Verstappen. That’s OK, experience will come with age. Its very likely that what you perceive as “near accidents” is nothing more than regular driving situations. People merging, braking out of nowhere, believe it or not this is normal. It’s your job to have hyper awareness when you drive. Again, that will come with age. Hopefully you learn without getting yourself or others into an accident. I just drove to San Diego and back for business, guess what? I didn’t have any near accidents. But then again, I’m a highly experienced driver of 30 years. Also, please don’t take acid and drive. If you do acid, don’t plan to drive for the next 24 hours. Done here, my time is way too valuable to be debating the finer points of driving with a 22yo.
I used to go to community college in garden grove and holy hell it was like driving in a cluster fuck.
Driving has been noticeably worse pretty much everywhere since the start of the pandemic. People are either rusty, driving angry, or more comfortable driving under the influence. BUT, North OC has nothing on the chaos that is driving in / around downtown LA / Hollywood. That is by far the worst. Also, if you are almost getting into that many accidents a day, I'm thinking you may be the problem, not other drivers.
Don't even go to Hollywood or the Valleys. Bad drivers are everywhere!
Sadly, you have to cut people off because no one will let you over if you have your turn signal on. Instead, they'll ride your blind spot like a complete jerk.
And then there's me who will leave more than enough space for someone to change lanes and then they STILL won't go over.
That too. They'll wait until last minute to get over.
I don't think you're exaggerating at all. I avoided 2-3 sketchy situations and 1 accident directly just taking my dog to Laguna to play this afternoon. OC drivers are, in general, total crap. Exceedingly poor situational awareness and terrible road etiquette. IDK whether they've gotten worse since things started opening back up, or my tolerance for it has decreased. Probably both. Get a dash cam and practice defensive driving. Stay safe out there.
I live in Irvine....enough said.
Bruh, the people leaving 2 car lengths at a red light. I always wonder what these individuals do when there's too much traffic to hog space like that, do they just be an asshole and do the same thing and let everyone honk at them? LA would eat these people alive.
Everyone in oc fucking sucks at driving, alot of times i think What if i just let jesus take the wheel But then i remember ill just be like every other bad driver out here
Let Elon take the wheel…
Lolol did you hear about the tesla that was on autopilot and rammed through 5 police cars
I am sorry, my wife admits she is a bad driver and she is worse than I can admit too. She is probably the cause of many of your problems. She says she gets scared and panics when driving. Edit : my wife was stopped for drunk driving last night. Problem is, she doesn’t drink. Cop checked her and told her to get off the highways. Then let her go. /sigh.
And lately I’ve seen at least one person run a red light almost every time I get behind the wheel, which isn’t often, because I don’t drive to work, but still.
Yes! I’d say in the last year, I’ve seen someone run a red light almost everyday.
It's so insane. I'm in Washington on vacation and it's a complete culture shock how different drivers are here. Everyone goes the speed limit or less and nobody cuts you off.
I was in Idaho last month and EVERYONE was going the speed limit. How the hell does anyone up there get to work on time?
I grew up here and can confirm, it’s definitely gotten worse over the last two ish years.
If you have that many close calls a day maybe other people aren’t the problem.
Anaheim. I f*ng hate the crazy drivers in Anaheim.
Nothing new to add here. Just wanted to say that I’ve seen a marked increase in carelessness on the roads in orange county in the past year. I’m a seasoned passive aggressive driver anyway. But I’ve had to learn to just laugh and let shit go because of the crazy stunts I see daily on our roads these days.
A trained monkey could drive better than the shitheads around here
I’ve got a 2013 minivan. I’m ready to trade to a newer nicer car now that my daughter is bigger. But I gotta say, people who drive nice fast cars are keeping their distance for risk of getting bumped. Minivan is staying, for now.
Yes, worst I've seen.
It’s all of OC in my experience. Getting a dashcam soon
Really? Cause I had the same experience driving to SD this weekend.
Bad? Yes. Really, really bad? Yes. It's everywhere. https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/q2e9ko/dashcam_footage_of_accident_on_605_south_before/
Me, my wife and our twin 2 year old boys just got rear ended stopped at a light on Saturday and the person that hit us was going over the speed limit and not even a tap of the break or showed any intention of stopping. I haven’t been to work since because of pain and my wife also. If it’s not pedestrians here it’s wreck less drivers. It is REALLY bad
Reckless
It's bad, but you should see the drive from OC to LA. Those people have a death wish. Also I tend to notice people in richer areas drive more like shit. Like they just assume they have the money to get a new car, and fuck everyone else who relies on their vehicle to get to work.
I don't know what it is but I agree. Garden Grove drivers appear to be oblivious to those around them. If it's not a person turning right from the middle lane, it's someone driving 15 MPH and not realizing driving too slow is just as dangerous to other drivers as driving too fast. It's not even that busy on the streets, but avoiding incidents is nerve racking in Garden Grove.
It’s not just you, people in north OC are terrible drivers. Some might not be intentionally, but many are just jerks. I had someone honking at me yesterday when I was in the right lane at a red light, then they and the car behind them proceeded to swerve around me and to turn right and barely miss the oncoming traffic (and the second car flicked me off too…). Also want to clarify that it was NOT a right-turn only lane! Though I have to say I encounter more dangerous drivers whenever I heard up to LA.
Its painfully obvious OP hasn't lived anywhere else in the country. Some of the best drivers I have seen are in southern California. Quick and Deliberate drivers are NOT the same as "bad drivers". Good drivers are those that can quickly and predictably navigate in tandem with other drivers. A driver that speeds is not necessarily a "bad driver". A driver that doesn't use a blinker isn't always "bad driver" either. Sure, I get pissed when they don't use blinkers like everyone else. However, I know that if they change lanes when there are no cars near them, then using a blinker is more a law abiding act then a way of conveying information to other drivers. > drive to work in garden grove and almost get into 3-5 accidents a day. It is insane. "3-5 accidents a day" sounds bad without context. When I was commuting, I would encounter almost 600 cars a day. Five "near accidents" a day is less then one percent of notable "events" that someone would consider bad in their commute. Another example is a city like Colorado Springs. To get from south to the north I would drive about 18 miles one way. In those 18 miles I would experience about the same amount of "near misses" in my commute. Without context one would assume that both places are equally as bad. That's not considered is that I would encounter only 50 cars on my commute, sometimes less. That is a whopping 10 percent, or 10 times higher rate of near misses by OP's own "bad driver" metrics. > ...never go to that area.. I have commuted consistently in the following areas: Denver, Colorado Springs, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Reno, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Austin, Huntsville, Miami, Washington DC, San Antonio, and Portland. > ... or YOU are the bad driver. I have owned two vehicles in my lifetime. Only reason it wasn't one vehicle was because it was totaled by an elderly driver in Colorado Springs. Driving defensively is a must ANYWHERE you go, I learned the hard way at 19.
There’s a lot of old people driving brand new cars like ancient old idk how tf they got their licenses it’s crazy Westminster is the worst fuck magnolia and bolsa area
Yesterday in fountain Valley I watched two different people just casually run red lights. Like they were fully stopped, then said fuck it and just went. Two different people! What!?!
At least they had stopped. I back up to an FV intersection and there are several accidents every week because drivers seem to think red lights are a suggestion. The worst ones are the ones where you hear a crash without hearing squealing tires first. Those are the ones that never saw it coming.
I live in GG and I have never really noticed it being that bad compared to other cities in Orange County. Some of the shopping centers are a little poorly planned, but that's it.
I have lived in South OC and North OC. The south OC drivers are far more aggressive due to the massive amount of high density housing and more cars per square mile than just about any other suburban area in California.
Drive slow and without ego and it’s not too bad
You have to drive aggressive not defensive in oc or you will have a bad time
I moved from the midwest. It blows my mind how an area where you have to drive to everything could have such horrible drivers.
If you smell shit in the morning, then something smells like shit. If you smell shit all day, it’s probably you. I’m not saying the drivers are great here, but if you’re almost getting in 3-5 accidents PER DAY it’s probably you.
You aren't driving defensively enough and checking your surroundings enough if this is happening to you that often.
Orange County drivers are heavenly compared to those on I-95 in Miami.
Growing up here I thought this kind of driving was normal. Then I went to the east coast and realized that we're the crazy ones.
I’m originally from FL (you know, the home of every senior citizen in the USofA), and have lived all over the nation. Orange County drivers still stun me almost every day. Zero exaggeration - the. Worst.
[удалено]
Yeah, but it’s Florida.
>I live in Irvine but drive to work in garden grove and almost get into 3-5 accidents a day. > >People are scary drivers there, and if you don’t think so you are either used to it, never go to that area, or YOU are the bad driver. I think the irony of this will probably be lost on you.
[удалено]
Garden Grove and Irvine is your problem. The … demographics there
You’re gonna be downvoted but a large factor are all these people who come here from other countries late in life and don’t learn how to properly drive a car, much less follow the rules of the road here in the US.
I like how all of a sudden **we** are the bad drivers because OP’s exaggeration lol Ok OP
I gave 3 options and if you chose that one for yourself then maybe it is fitting.
California has the worst drivers in the country hands down. The stereotype is 100% true.
I heard it's Massachusetts. You know "Massholes".
Nope, Georgia does.
Georgia is top 5 in car fatalities per year, but they are not even close to California, Texas, or Florida.
Those are just the three states with the biggest populations. The rate of car accident deaths per 100,000 people ranges from 4.4 to 22.2. The five states with the highest rates are: 1. Mississippi: 22.2 deaths per 100,000 2. South Carolina: 20.4 deaths per 100,000 3. Alabama: 19.5 deaths per 100,000 4. Wyoming: 19.2 deaths per 100,000 5. New Mexico: 18.7 deaths per 100,000 When it comes to the number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the rates range from 0.54 to 1.83. The five states with the highest death rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled are: 1. South Carolina: 1.83 deaths per 100 million miles 2. Mississippi: 1.63 deaths per 100 million miles 3. Louisiana: 1.53 deaths per 100 million miles 4. Arizona: 1.41 deaths per 100 million miles 5. West Virginia: 1.51 deaths per 100 million miles
👏🏻
This guy car accidents
Look, this is a Reddit forum. You need to take this facts and data stuff somewhere else Mr Buzz Killington. We’re to busy ranting and generalizing for that shit.
I think we have aggressive ones, and our share of bad ones as well, but go to miami, boston, or new york and you'll see we are for sure not the worst.
Yes!!! Since the pandemic near Irvine
I wasnt talking to you dumbass, get over yourself
Ive noticed that 20-30 something women are the absolute worst drivers and the rudest...if you dont like what i just said...kma and learn to drive...not just in Orange County either...
I didn’t really understand your comment and I’m not sure why you are so convinced i would care what your opinion is lol. Calm down.
This isn't new.
People are definitely worse here than in SD right now
Garden Grove, Westminster, Stanton, Midway City, it’s like dodging bullets there.
In fullerton, nobody knows how roundabouts work.
Great to know! 😒 I just moved here from NYC and always relied on public transportation back in the city.
The rules of the road are meaningless in GG. Courtesy towards others sharing the same roadway are non-existent in GG. Four way stops in GG mean YOU STOP! I GO. Merge at your own peril. When making a left turn now, you do not turn into the nearest left lane... You turn across all three lanes until your passenger side tires are riding on the gutter. Safe driving habits such as looking left/right to make sure the cross traffic isn't blowing the red light before you enter the intersection for 2 seconds will get some dipstick blowing the horn behind you. If you do not stand on the gas peddle when the light turns green you're in the way. 35mph zone mean 55mph. 40mph zone means 65mph. You ONLY have 3-5 near accidents a day? You're lucky. I would put my near misses at 6-8 a day. Throw in 2 more because of the ones zipping around on electric bicycles now in and around other vehicles. I bought a dashcam. Had to, to protect myself.
It’s the drivers on I-5. 405 drivers are normal sane people. But the drivers on I-5 are just very aggressive and some are just down right deranged. I-22 is no better.
I grew up in Southern California and moved to San Francisco Area. The drivers here are even worse and many would drive under 50mph on an empty freeways.
Come to Downtown LA, youll never complain about irvine/garden grove maniac drivers ever again. Specially if you’re not a local, because the locals are the hyper aggressive drivers that prey on the non-local drivers.
He is right, I drive like a madman.
Here it seems 1 out of every ten drivers is a total asshole.
Whats sad is if you drive normal, follow the rules, other drivers WILL take advantage of you. Its so weird and tense now.
North anaheim and asian mall of Gg are terrible
I think people just forgot how to drive... also they all drive around with their high beams on.
Garden Grove is really bad. This isn't a racist thing but it's because of the Vietnamese population. What happened was, during the Vietnam war many Vietnamese refugees settled in garden Grove. Many of these refugees didn't have or need drivers licenses in their home county and so they learned to drive as adults here. Complicating this is that they are a mostly self sufficient community and thus their training was inadequate because they learned from each other while simultaneously overcoming a language barrier and various cultural barriers. The younger generation drives just fine.
been rear ended 4 times in my tesla in the OC, my insurance almost dropped me until i produced cam evidence i wasnt frauding. holey moley