How bad is it to drive to the San Francisco Bay Area?

Question

I will be driving from Chicago on Route-80 in the summer.
I know that the trip will be 30 hours of driving, according to mapquest.

Everyone says that California drivers are so bad, so I will drive in the night when I get to the California border.

Is Califonia driving as bad as people say it is?

Also, I am only 18 years old.

Answer 1

It's not bad. Just know where you're going. Don't use the carpool lane unless you have more than 1 person in the car with you.
I'm from Missouri, but I was last August and it was really not a problem.
Have Fun!

Answer 2

Some CA drivers are bad, but on the freeways most people are cautious. The worst thing is when people stop to look at something on the side of the road (car accident, car stuck in median, electric sign saying to obey speed limit, etc) causing very long delays. Fortunately this doesn't happen every day.

You shouldn't drive at night if you don't need to, because interchanges can get confusing when you have never been through them before, especially if you can't see where they are going. Also, the state border is the most scenic part of the trip, so you will want to see it.

And during the day, you will hit quite a bit of traffic in the Sacramento Area and in the Bay Area starting around Vacaville or Fairfield. The worst place to drive is in the city of San Francisco, because the roads are confusing to people who have never driven them before, and there is not enough parking to go around.

Oh and if you call it "the 80" people will think you are from SoCal. Locals call it 80 or Highway 80 or I-80.

Answer 3

I drove cross-country two times during my college years. The second time I took I-80 and it was the best trip ever! There is so much to see and do along the way. And, its a major highway just like any other the whole way into the city of San Francisco. California drivers are not bad drivers, they are only super cautious in the rain like you or I would be in the snow. Enjoy the experience and enjoy it during the day. The I-80 drive from the California/Nevada state border all the way to Sacramento is a very beautiful drive, particularly the first 90 minutes once you enter into California! Breathtaking mountains and valleys and rivers.

Answer 4

The amount of traffic varies a lot according to the time of day. There's traffic 24 hours a day, but from 3 pm until 8 pm it's really bad in the San Francisco bay area.

California does have a lot of aggressive drivers. The traffic is heavy and it moves fast. Just be super cautious, stay in the slow lane so they can go around you and be alert. They have lanes with a diamond shape painted on it, meant for carpooling. That means two or more in the car. Stay out of those lanes in the day time if you're alone. You should be fine if you're not out in the fast lane, drive defensively and stay alert.

Answer 5

I think that some California drivers are incompetent and should not be allowed to drive but that would just be a small fraction of Californians.
I went through I-80 to Las Vegas from SF and was great...hardly any traffic at all, but then again I was driving in the middle of the night. I did drive back to SF in the daytime and would highly recommend that you drive in the daytime instead of at night; besides night time driving is probably more dangerous.
Southern Californa drivers...that is a totally different story from Northern California drivers to my opinion. I've drove to the LA area before and their freeways/interstates are not only confusing but people there seem to be constantly in a RUSH to go somewhere. SF freeway traffic can be extremely bad though also, just like So. Cal.

Answer 6

I am from New Jersey. If anyone has ever told you California drivers are aggressive and move fast - don't believe it! It's all a lie! Not all drivers do that. Granted, every once in a while you get a few crazy people - and I mean CRAAAAZY that come out of nowhere and start swerving in and out of lanes because they're in some sort of rush, willing to risk their lives just to get a few cars ahead on the freeway.

Not only are California drivers THE SLOWEST and most ignorant drivers I've ever seen, they cause more accidents than I have ever witnessed. Drive VERY carefully over here.

Be watchful for:

1) People braking suddenly when changing lanes
2) Slowing down for no apparent reason
3) Sudden lane changes
4) Slow moving drivers who speed up a bit to block you from exiting on an exit ramp or disallowing you from merging over.
5) Rampant neglect to use directional signals

Honestly, California drivers are the worst drivers ever ever ever ever ever.


EVER!!!! I know people say Jersey drivers are bad, but for crying out loud - at least we can navigate the road while on our cell phones. For some reason California drivers have a hard time breathing and being able to keep their eyes on the road

Answer 7

If you can drive in Chicago ok, you should be able to drive in California. There seems to be a lot of road rage in Calif. as well as ppl who don't stop at stop signs. So you've been warned. OTOH, driving in Calif. probably is not more challenging than driving in NYC or Philadelphia. Driving at night doesn't sound like a good idea-- harder to see, more drunk drivers and you're prone to be more tired. A better bet would be to find a motel in the early evening, get a good night's sleep and get an early start (7am or so). You'll find that even if you start driving at 7 or 730 am, a lot of truck drivers have already beat you to the highway.

Answer 8

California drivers aren't bad at all, try driving in NY now that's bad! Seriously why would you want to drive at night once you get here? You will drive for days over boring country side during the day but will drive at night when the scenery turns beautiful? California is nothing like Chicago and yes we have more lanes of traffic but driving at night isn't necessarily safer in fact I would say is more dangerous. Going over 80 you might hit a deer or something in the dark.

Answer 9

San Francisco is not as bad as Southern California. Once you leave the freeway, the city streets are decent and you can't get going that fast. You do have to watch out for Cable Cars and it can be hard to find parking. You might want to park and ride the Cable Cars to do any sight seeing.

Answer 10

No, we aren't any worse drivers than anywhere else.

If you drive in Chicago, you'll be just fine. The City of San Francisco itself is harder driving then elsewhere in the Bay Area. The crowded and narrow streets, along with all the one way streets, hills and multitudes of pedestrians it tougher to drive. Just stay alert and don't worry about getting lost and having to double back. I've been there dozens of times and I still get lost and have to find my way. And I rarely get lost!