Hi James, great video! I live in NorCal (Northern California), in the Bay Area, and I've always thought that I was used to extensive and heavy freeway traffic, maddening congestion, etc. However, whenever I travel to SoCal (Southern California) I feel like I'm from a little village comprised of two lane country roads, especially after driving six hours on Interstate 5 ("The Five" for my SoCal friends) and I am still in the same state. The difference between NorCal and SoCal is startling. I do enjoy visiting SoCal but I do have to really psych myself up for the drive. Or better yet, just fly. Keep up the strong work, we all appreciate it
LA resident here, All quite on the money Jay, the genuine dismay you have at the driving situation had me laughing so hard hahaha. It’s fascinating to hear your outside perspective on our miserable traffic and LA’s particularly confusing roads. I totally agree it’s easy to think LA is all beautiful canyon roads, but it’s so far from the truth, and even on those roads you’re just as likely to be stuck behind someone in minivan.
One more piece of advice and I'll type this in my best JayEmm voice; Most, but not all rental cars come equipped with what is called "SiriusXM" Satellite Radio. It's similar, but not exactly like DAB digital radio. Any kind of music genre you like, and others you didn't know existed are all available on this system. There are even stations for the national news broadcasters such as CNN, Fox News, etc. If you're not careful, you can be thoroughly entertained by these stations alone. Take full advantage of this and blast the audio as loud as you can stand, but don't roll your windows down when you do.
About reversing, one more thing to note: newer cars are legally required to have reversing cameras, but not parking sensors. So you will see if you’ll hit something, but don’t necessarily expect beeping to warn you. With the quality of some of the reversing cameras in the dark, this can be a problem
I grew up in sw Scotland but have lived in Southern California for about ten years. What I can say is that people are generally horrible at driving here but driving in general is actual much more enjoyable. You really can't have much fun on British roads anymore. I'm not saying it's advisable to drive fast wherever you go but it's much easier to exploit the limits of your car and maintain relative safety as well as not worry about an average speed camera.
SoCal is unique in the west (and honestly the nation) with how well they can flow traffic. I’m a trucker in Utah/Idaho/Colorado, grew up in Vegas (Nevada), and was born in and recently took a road-trip primarily focused around California.
I lived and worked around the US for 9 years and agree, they just cannot drive. Ive been in 4 car crashes in my life, all 4 were in those years as a passenger in a car with an American driving. Crazy thing is they dont care about being in a crash. They just shrug it off like "oh well i crashed again". Get it repaired and carry on. As well as all the driving things you noted in the video i feel the No.1 thing to be aware off is the road surfaces. American Tarmac is NOTHING like the Tarmac in the UK. It has a much lower friction surface compared to ours. As such going into a wet bend needs a lot more caution than you would in the UK as the car will slide easily. Also you need to be careful with Fueling. In the US a Green pump handle is Diesel, and a Black pump handle is Unleaded. The complete opposite of the UK.
I mean he did pick one of the worst places to visit when it comes to traffic its like me going to Philly expecting for there to be five star restaurants on ever corner in reality you'll most likely see a ghetto Philly cheese steak pubs on each block🤦♂️🤣
The turning into pedestrians thing is common in Europe, I believe the UK is the only country that doesn't do it. And the right lane turning into an exit lane exists also in France (learned that the hardway)
@@tmanepic Yeah exactly. Traffic lights in the UK never have conflicting movements between any of the types of traffic they manage (Cars, pedestrians, cyclists, trains, etc). If you have a green there (shouldn't) be anything crossing your path. Pretty sure this is the case for most of Northern + Western Europe... the Netherlands and the UK at the very least :D.
Same for both here in Norway (with some exceptions for traffic lights. Some DO stop all traffic when pedestrians got a green light, but I think those are in minority.).
It is indeed a daunting drive. I did it in 2019 in 1980s Dodge Ram RV. Those right turns in a lusty V8 we’re quite an experience. I ought to do Melbourne by comparison. Completely nuts
Also in Italy we have road scripts in reverse line order. But the letters are so far stretched that you can actually start reading from the upper line if you're obeying the speed limit.
SoCal resident insights for you. James is 100% correct about canyon roads. There is a popular one near me and people crash weekly, if not every other day, with lives being lost far too often. Not only can people here not drive, but there are tons of people driving with no license or insurance. I got t-boned by one about a year ago and the police gave her a verbal warning. LA is the most ego-centric place on earth. While politeness would be fantastic, it is, unfortunately a pipe dream in the city where everyone thinks they are a star. The only drivers who understand what flashing headlights mean are usually truckers (lorry drivers). Finally, James is also 100% correct about the interaction with police. Just be polite and do as asked. You can fight it in court and maybe win. You fight with cops and you will always lose.
Living in L. A. for 22 years, I thoroughly enjoyed your view Jay! One important thing to remember. Contrary to Europe, pedestrians here have always the right of way. When at a stop sign, we let pedestrians pass before continuing. And they expect you to yield to them, so keep an eye out.
Perfect timing for a US driving lesson!! Going to the US for the first time ever in a couple weeks with the wife and three young kids. I'm very experienced in UK and Europe but surprised to find I'm getting increasingly nervous! I'm just hoping Florida is less scary than Cali! It is, right? :) Kinda wish I'd thought of a night's sleep in a hotel before driving straight from Orlando to Tampa, but ah well. On a positive note, I'm happier every day that I'm renting a Chevy Tahoe!
As an American whose lived in the south for most of their life, I’m sorry to say, but it’s just as scary, with a few minor changes. The biggest recommendation for y’all is to be very aware of trucks of all sizes, truck drivers in the US give 0 shits about you and tend to be some of the most careless drivers on the road. I’ve seen so many accidents involving pick-up trucks, work trucks, lorry’s, especially on my trip from Louisiana to Indiana that it’s genuinely terrifying. Definitely listened to he said, he gives a lot of really good advice, and have a good trip!
Atlantic Canadian here, Canada is basically halfway between this and what he's citing for the UK. Though it seems to be sliding more toward the US standard of brute force more each year, this solves some issues with folks being overly accommodating and slowing the whole flow down needlessly while adding other issues such as most folks simply not signaling.
Great video James! I've driven a semi (lorry) generally east of the Rockies for the past 44 years and I don't miss LA what so ever although other major cities in the U.S. have their challenges as well. I really try to move over to allow traffic to enter but more often than not that traffic will not let you back into that lane. I'll take a 4 way stop anytime over a roundabout in a semi. One thing I missed your mention was the amount of trash and litter in the U.S. I find it disgusting and is getting progressively worse. I never see trash in any of your UK videos. I hope to meet you one day when you are visiting again!
Haven't driven in America, but have around much of Europe. The only country I have found appreciably different was Italy. Driving at the speed limit on the motorway and having a whole line of tiny underpowered FIATs inches from my back bumper, using my car to keep them up to speed was quite unnerving the first time.
Exactly the opposite! Grown up in Europe I drove in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Italy you name it. Chaos, no parking available, tailgaters and extreme speeders. In the US everything is more relaxed and people are more courteous drivers. Watch some dash can videos from the UK and see how much better they drive. Of course Southern California is among the worst spots to drive in the US.
That's the city for ya... whether in Europe or in the U.S., but out on the highways Europe wins hands down for better drivers. Europeans tend to drive more effectively/efficiently than the "monotonous-driving in all lanes" Americans.
I can't wait for you to visit the midwest. Completely different type of driver. Same thing with East Coast Drivers. Very much their own beast. As someone who rented a car and drove around Scotland, I can relate to the whole "fish out of water" feeling when driving in a foreign country. Other side of the car. Other side of the road. Roads narrower than driveways in the US. Left turns are like right turns. Right turns you have to watch cross traffic. AND WHAT'S WITH THE UNMARKED ROUNDABOUTS?!?!? The first one I hit, I almost crashed into someone. I just hoped they knew I was an American and forgave me my bad European driving. Great video!!
I've lived in L.A my whole life. Except for a few years in England and Germany. If you've never driven in this city, it is quite scary. But I am used to it. People do use blinkers, but not that much. On a freeway, there are no rules. No lanes for faster cars, no nothing. I would suggest that during the rush hour, you stick to the "back roads". Drive through the neighborhoods. Wherever you go, you'll get there in one piece and in time even. Cops in L.A. can be nervous, but I've never had any problems with them and I have been pulled over quite a few times. Mostly for speeding. But if you are courteous, they'll be courteous too.
the bits about the driver aggression were hilarious. I think we here ( South Africa, Pretoria-- Johannesburg to be specific) are somewhere in between UK and LA as you describe them. Someone may let you in but best move in quickly and get going...quickly.. indicating and being overtaken is a sign of weakness for some😁😁 Who wants to be predictable after all?
Thanks for the driving lesson! Also, I live in Northwest Arkansas and we have plenty of roundabouts and drivers are slowly getting used to them. It was a big deal when we started seeing them here.
Up here in eastern Massachusetts there are countless roundabouts (we call it a rotary) and they’re VERY dangerous. The Cape Cod area is loaded with them, and it’s very dangerous. Western Massachusetts doesn’t have hardly any roundabouts. Massachusetts is the only state in the northeast that has lots of roundabouts, so it really messes with drivers from other states who maybe never saw one before. First of all, unlike the south, people in this area are always extremely rude and nasty, and that’s how they drive. When you come to a roundabout here, don’t expect anyone to slow down or give you the turn to go (even if it is your turn), and people honk scream and give you the finger when they are the ones in the wrong. Lots of one way streets here too (Boston is always rated as the worst city in the US to drive in for a reason) and you’ll often see people going the wrong way.
It really is a great state for driving, it’s such an incredibly beautiful state with lots of great driving roads. I live in Connecticut now, but I used to live in Santa Barbara. As long as you avoid the populated areas of Los Angeles county, and all urban areas in the state, it’s a great place to drive. I used to own a Mazda Miata in California and it was a blast to drive fast in the mountains and rural areas. Northern California is especially great for driving. Whenever I hear people bitch about awful it is to drive in California, I always ask them where they were, and they always say somewhere in the L. A. area. San Francisco sucks for driving, but then again, you don’t need a car in San Francisco. The problem with L.A. is the insane size of the county. The subway system they have is inadequate for such a massive metropolis, and I wouldn’t want to be riding in the subway when a big earthquake hits.
In my county in Indiana we are transitioning to roudabouts wherever is possible. At first people fussed about them, but for the most part they are getting full acceptance.
Pedestrian crossings and traffic lights both having green lights (ie: you turn into a pedestrian crossing with a green light) is the same here in Japan, and it is really dangerous at times......... Sometimes have bicycles come out of NOWHERE, and just do not check oncoming traffic - almost had a few accidents. NOT SAFE.
I have driven in the USA twice now and I to decided to do it properly by hiring a muscle car on both visits. We went to Florida to visit the Daytona 24hrs and roads from Orlando to Daytona itself were mostly highways and the only thing I had to remember was pull in for the toll roads, but overall it was very easy to drive their. Also Nationwide credit cards from the UK hate US petrol pumps.
Yep, also worked on both coasts. 2 wheels and 4. As a Brit it's always hilarious what they get upto. Bought a TransAm from a Sheriff's crim sale, still with bullet hole in the door. 500 bucks well spent. Florida smelled a little browner driving that thing at speed in the wet.
I've not visited LA but I've driven in Orlando many times. I do like the right on a red and after the first day I soon settle in to the local driving style. I have found that many of those freeway slip.ramps have bad cambers and of course the cars are much more softly sprung than I'm Europe so don't fare too well cornering at speed. The drainage on freeways is also often not up to the job and when you are overtaken by a truck with very little spray suppression visibility is non existent. I think the rules regarding parking facing forward in a bay is probably due to the fact that in .any states front license plates are not required. As challenging as driving in the states may be it's still less challenging that I've found when I've driven in south East Asia, that's a whole other level.
One thing Jay you should know, once you get about an hour out of LA things get far more normal. Something about the volume of cars on the road and the wild roads make everyone on edge. Outlying areas are far more sane
James, I moved here from Scotland 27 years ago and most of that time I have worked in the public transportation area. Currently I work as a charter bus driver, a job I absolutely love! However, I would like to confirm AMERICANS CANNOT DRIVE!😩 Keep up the good work, I enjoy your videos immensely.😁
I'm American, live in southern CA, and I completely agree. That's why I really hated how work took away our WFH status... All my work is done for Washington state. People run red lights more blatantly and take turns from lanes they shouldn't more than ever. Not to mention the growing entitled and violent nature of Americans in general
Commenting as an American - American drivers are some of the most self-important, entitled, unaware drivers out there. I visited Scotland this summer and it was so nice that everyone always used turn signals (before braking I might add), knew how to use a roundabout, drive with skills, and were just in general more courteous and aware than ~97% of Americans on the road. I also appreciated that in Europe people knew how to drive on twisty roads and would carry good speed on such a piece of tarmac. In the US most people have never even approached the limits of what their car is capable of and therefore drive like senior citizens on most twisty roads. Worse still, Americans won’t pull over and let you pass if they’re going slow because of the whole entitlement problem we have in this country. Le sigh. I wish this weren’t the truth, but it is. Americans (most of em any way) are shitty drivers at best.
Debit and cash for gas is one price. They charge 10 cents more per gallon for credit cards. Disagree that LA has parking. Valet when you can. If you get a rental to drive the canyons that’s great but better off using uber the rest of the time Parking can take ages and cost a lot
Very similar to London. However, we've got a pretty good public transport system... Lack of parking almost always makes getting public transport the lesser of the evils.
From Midlands been out here for 20 years in La La land mostly in Topanga on my second 2003 m-sport 540i e39 - the stealth wannabe M5 - and what a car to drive here for such a good price… anyways enjoy LA
I feel the Wrangler is probably the best rental car you can get for North America as a tourist, as one may not realise how bad the road can be and the Wrangler makes them less daunting, ESPECIALLY if you ever go anywhere near the Rocky Mountains where major roads can be quite literally unpaved! When I went on a trip to BC and Alberta I had booked a basic sedan at the rental company, but due to them not having any they got me a Wrangler instead, and in retrospect I can't imagine myself driving the unpaved Whistler-Lillooet-Kamloops road in a Nissan Sentra 💀 Can't speak about US drivers, but Canadian drivers seemed quite well behaved, and driving around big cities like Vancouver or Calgary in such a big car to me never felt overwhelming. I get the feeling Canada is probably the Easy mode compared to the US though.
Albertan here. Yes, Alberta/BC are a bit better than the US big cities but not by much. I think drivers don't have much situational awareness so it is very important to keep your eyes peeled for everything.
I'm from Southern Cali & can confirm most of this is true, except I'd like to point out there's no I-101 there, just the 101, slight correction but thanks for the video.
Be careful, too of locals racing up in the right most lane, when you’re attempting to move over. I actually think SF Bay Area drivers are less predictable than in LA.
Brilliant introduction to driving in America... If they can't drive, why are they so against Tesla FSD? Surely when it finally isn't a Betta it will provide a level of safe interaction?
The percentage of people that can't drive are a result of traveling to areas that have different rules/ regulations in different cities for example its so diverse in America a person that can drive in California doesn't mean they can drive like people more out south vice versa...Teslas are problematic alot of people can't handle the privilege and will do crazy stuff like drink eat well driving or worse getting into the back well its in said mode and tesla's have been known to need help alot of times to prevent crashing etc .. Self system aren't what I like to say optimal for true self driving without a human making sure the system aren't malfunctioning.
to be fair I found Britain awful to drive in as well. The street signs are slapped around any old place. Yea sure sometimes its on a sogn on the corner sometimes its slapped on a building 5 stories up. The roads are terrifyingly narrow.
One more tip on dealing with the police. Instead of leaving your hands on the wheel, put both of your hands out the driver's side window, palm up. That way, the officer can see them clearly if they approach your vehicle from behind.
Your first point is the most important. It's not strictly true, mind you, but it is the most important because it's true often enough. If nobody knew how to drive it would be a non-stop bloodbath. Say not that people don't know how to drive, but they know how people *do* drive and have discovered that being part of the solution isn't going to work. The rules of the road and what actually happens 'ain't never but similar.' If as a visitor you drive as if you are surrounded by unpredictable lunatics with only a passing familiarity with the actual rules you'll probably be alright. Note that outside of large cities people may scrupulously obey rules other than the speed limit, or may not. It all depends on where you are. Observe and emulate the locals, and let caution be your watchword at all times. BTW in the Seattle area and many other places roundabouts are being seen more and more and are met with surprisingly little confusion. I encountered them in Europe in the service and always thought they were sensible, so I'm am happy to see them arriving here. Oh, and the danger of being shot in a road-rage incident is comparable to being struck by lightning. Colorful languages and 'helpful' gestures are vastly more common and you may be baffled as to what provoked them but that's as may be.
Life-long Los Angeles resident here. Los Angeles is a formerly wonderful city, still with (usually!) great weather, wonderful nature, etc. Yes, we have poor drivers, and some are very aggressive. Worse is our homeless and their shantytowns, the result of decades of failed regional politics. We do retain an amazing car culture- and our California- Mexican food!
You’re so funny, driving in London isn’t any better then in LA, despite we don’t have a functioning public transportation. Calabasas is an awesome place to be if you’re a car enthusiast (I live there), as you often have more garage space and the best roads in the area. American people don’t know how to drive because there’re generations that teaching each other how to drive bad. The rest of the world requires a proper driving school. I hope you enjoyed your trip altogether.
I've heard that the thing to do when being arrested is to run, shouting: "Don't kill me!", then when they tackle you down to the ground shout: "I'm not resisting!!" and fight back like hell (give it all you've got, and try to reach into your pockets), then when they're cuffing you start shouting as hard as you can and repeat: "I can't breathe!!" 1000 times at least. Once you've been arrested _do not_ call a laywer, just have your mother tell the TV cameras: "He was always a good boy, he never did nothing wrong". If you're a hardened enough criminal Kamala Harris or AOC will bail you out, but if you're a law abiding citizen you're screwed.
"I hate coming here." - Jeremy Clarkson when he visits the States. Honestly, I'm American and loathe how Americans generally drive. I so much prefer driving in Europe. I have European roots and visit Europe frequently so I see the differences compared to these American zombies. Not every single one of them is horrible, but unfortunately, an overwhelming number of them are... Most of them are, actually. When I'm in Europe and seldomly see a car moving slower in the fast lane or not using a turn signal, I say aloud, "damn American tourists."
As you drive in California and get closer to any large city, can you feel your IQ go down? As for US drivers you are correct, simply because no one is taught to drive they are terrorized by laws instead, purely designed for insurance company / county union employee profits only.
Love the videos this ones was quite hilarious being an american viewer but it's Los Angeles what did you expect 🤣😭 try driving in New york its a nightmare aswell but there are a few places that aren't bad you should visit Denver,Pikes Peak, Texas etc I feel people from Britain/UK get a bad taste about one place in the United States then claim a generalization about America as a whole..the country is so diverse your bound to get alot of different experiences in different areas but aye mate same can be said about lads in the UK I'm sure there are places that are better then others if not then that's kinda like claiming that your 💩 don't stink..🤷♂️👀
Any big UK city is particularly bad. They are smaller and the roads and buildings likely older than the car. London is bad but city's like Birmingham, Coventry or Bradford will be extremely busy and totally unforgiving to anyone who doesn't know where they are going or hesitates in the slightest
@@The_0p3r8t0r Thanks for the reply and honesty I definitely wanna go visit a few places when I get a chance just to experience everything for myself, then I'll be able to truly get a census of how much us Americans truly drive 🤣 but that's what I figured there's bound to be hair pulling traffic about anywhere you go in this world especially in the main continents..
Glad I no longer live in LA. Bad enough when I have to go to Phoenix - which is rarely now. Yes, many Americans generally can't steer . . .never mind drive
Except it would be nice to drive Topanga Canyon (the bit from Woodland Hills to PCH. There was one particularly narrow canyon road (Las Florez?) between Mulholland Highway a d PCH in Malibu.
Lol I thought you'd get slaughtered in the comments. Whenever I grumble about American's non-existent driving skills, I get the usual rant which includes something about Americans winning WWII 🙄
As with everything, not just driving, from you to us--don't worry about being blunt... No matter what you say about Americans, it's nothing compared to what we say about you.
Central LA is just crazy, the only place on our US travels where after a couple of stressful driving days trying to see the sights I said to my wife “shall we just grab a cab today” the sat nav tried to kill us a few times 🫣
More motoring of JayEmm & Friends Cars & Motoring content here: th-cam.com/play/PLNVfZAbP7rRlQTGyB24U0osi9XOCeMkql.html
Hi James, great video! I live in NorCal (Northern California), in the Bay Area, and I've always thought that I was used to extensive and heavy freeway traffic, maddening congestion, etc. However, whenever I travel to SoCal (Southern California) I feel like I'm from a little village comprised of two lane country roads, especially after driving six hours on Interstate 5 ("The Five" for my SoCal friends) and I am still in the same state. The difference between NorCal and SoCal is startling. I do enjoy visiting SoCal but I do have to really psych myself up for the drive. Or better yet, just fly. Keep up the strong work, we all appreciate it
LA resident here, All quite on the money Jay, the genuine dismay you have at the driving situation had me laughing so hard hahaha. It’s fascinating to hear your outside perspective on our miserable traffic and LA’s particularly confusing roads. I totally agree it’s easy to think LA is all beautiful canyon roads, but it’s so far from the truth, and even on those roads you’re just as likely to be stuck behind someone in minivan.
One more piece of advice and I'll type this in my best JayEmm voice; Most, but not all rental cars come equipped with what is called "SiriusXM" Satellite Radio. It's similar, but not exactly like DAB digital radio. Any kind of music genre you like, and others you didn't know existed are all available on this system. There are even stations for the national news broadcasters such as CNN, Fox News, etc. If you're not careful, you can be thoroughly entertained by these stations alone. Take full advantage of this and blast the audio as loud as you can stand, but don't roll your windows down when you do.
Satellite radio is phenomenal
Damn is it really that good?
@@Muhluri You'll find something to your liking when you scan through all the channels
@@Muhluri It does for "radio" what a platform like TH-cam can do for niche areas of interest. Sharing, connecting, discovering new stuff.
@@Muhluri The variety is ok, but the audio quality is dismal
About reversing, one more thing to note: newer cars are legally required to have reversing cameras, but not parking sensors. So you will see if you’ll hit something, but don’t necessarily expect beeping to warn you. With the quality of some of the reversing cameras in the dark, this can be a problem
I grew up in sw Scotland but have lived in Southern California for about ten years. What I can say is that people are generally horrible at driving here but driving in general is actual much more enjoyable. You really can't have much fun on British roads anymore. I'm not saying it's advisable to drive fast wherever you go but it's much easier to exploit the limits of your car and maintain relative safety as well as not worry about an average speed camera.
I’ve visited Southern California many times. You’re observations were spot on. I’d say most of this applies to most of the western US as well.
SoCal is unique in the west (and honestly the nation) with how well they can flow traffic.
I’m a trucker in Utah/Idaho/Colorado, grew up in Vegas (Nevada), and was born in and recently took a road-trip primarily focused around California.
Great video, please do a special segment on canyon roads!
I lived and worked around the US for 9 years and agree, they just cannot drive. Ive been in 4 car crashes in my life, all 4 were in those years as a passenger in a car with an American driving. Crazy thing is they dont care about being in a crash. They just shrug it off like "oh well i crashed again". Get it repaired and carry on. As well as all the driving things you noted in the video i feel the No.1 thing to be aware off is the road surfaces. American Tarmac is NOTHING like the Tarmac in the UK. It has a much lower friction surface compared to ours. As such going into a wet bend needs a lot more caution than you would in the UK as the car will slide easily. Also you need to be careful with Fueling. In the US a Green pump handle is Diesel, and a Black pump handle is Unleaded. The complete opposite of the UK.
I mean he did pick one of the worst places to visit when it comes to traffic its like me going to Philly expecting for there to be five star restaurants on ever corner in reality you'll most likely see a ghetto Philly cheese steak pubs on each block🤦♂️🤣
You guys need to say the state or we have no idea what you are talking about.
As an American, I'm quite confused to hear you say that other Americans shrugged off crashes... What kind of friends did you make over here?
The turning into pedestrians thing is common in Europe, I believe the UK is the only country that doesn't do it.
And the right lane turning into an exit lane exists also in France (learned that the hardway)
@M I. I can confirm that "turning into pedestrians" is a thing here in Australia too (so it seems the Brits might be the odd one out there). Cheers!
Nearly ran over somebody once in Poland because I didn't know about that. Learned it the hard way.
So how does that work in the UK, all directions of traffic are stopped so pedestrians can cross?
@@tmanepic Yeah exactly. Traffic lights in the UK never have conflicting movements between any of the types of traffic they manage (Cars, pedestrians, cyclists, trains, etc). If you have a green there (shouldn't) be anything crossing your path.
Pretty sure this is the case for most of Northern + Western Europe... the Netherlands and the UK at the very least :D.
Same for both here in Norway (with some exceptions for traffic lights. Some DO stop all traffic when pedestrians got a green light, but I think those are in minority.).
It is indeed a daunting drive. I did it in 2019 in 1980s Dodge Ram RV. Those right turns in a lusty V8 we’re quite an experience.
I ought to do Melbourne by comparison. Completely nuts
Also in Italy we have road scripts in reverse line order. But the letters are so far stretched that you can actually start reading from the upper line if you're obeying the speed limit.
Very interesting!!
But how does the road make the hand gestures?
@@pistonburner6448 emojis
SoCal resident insights for you. James is 100% correct about canyon roads. There is a popular one near me and people crash weekly, if not every other day, with lives being lost far too often. Not only can people here not drive, but there are tons of people driving with no license or insurance. I got t-boned by one about a year ago and the police gave her a verbal warning. LA is the most ego-centric place on earth. While politeness would be fantastic, it is, unfortunately a pipe dream in the city where everyone thinks they are a star. The only drivers who understand what flashing headlights mean are usually truckers (lorry drivers). Finally, James is also 100% correct about the interaction with police. Just be polite and do as asked. You can fight it in court and maybe win. You fight with cops and you will always lose.
Living in L. A. for 22 years, I thoroughly enjoyed your view Jay! One important thing to remember. Contrary to Europe, pedestrians here have always the right of way. When at a stop sign, we let pedestrians pass before continuing. And they expect you to yield to them, so keep an eye out.
Perfect timing for a US driving lesson!! Going to the US for the first time ever in a couple weeks with the wife and three young kids. I'm very experienced in UK and Europe but surprised to find I'm getting increasingly nervous! I'm just hoping Florida is less scary than Cali! It is, right? :) Kinda wish I'd thought of a night's sleep in a hotel before driving straight from Orlando to Tampa, but ah well. On a positive note, I'm happier every day that I'm renting a Chevy Tahoe!
As an American whose lived in the south for most of their life, I’m sorry to say, but it’s just as scary, with a few minor changes. The biggest recommendation for y’all is to be very aware of trucks of all sizes, truck drivers in the US give 0 shits about you and tend to be some of the most careless drivers on the road. I’ve seen so many accidents involving pick-up trucks, work trucks, lorry’s, especially on my trip from Louisiana to Indiana that it’s genuinely terrifying.
Definitely listened to he said, he gives a lot of really good advice, and have a good trip!
@@Justeeeevy Thanks! Definitely considering upgrading from the Tahoe to an armoured Suburban! :)
As someone born and raised in Miami, I’d love to see a Jayemm fools guide to Miami haha
Atlantic Canadian here, Canada is basically halfway between this and what he's citing for the UK. Though it seems to be sliding more toward the US standard of brute force more each year, this solves some issues with folks being overly accommodating and slowing the whole flow down needlessly while adding other issues such as most folks simply not signaling.
Most places don’t allow reversing into parking spaces because some states don’t have a front license plate, and plates must be visible at all times.
The Bigfoot video you mentioned is called the Patterson-gimlin film
Great video James! I've driven a semi (lorry) generally east of the Rockies for the past 44 years and I don't miss LA what so ever although other major cities in the U.S. have their challenges as well.
I really try to move over to allow traffic to enter but more often than not that traffic will not let you back into that lane.
I'll take a 4 way stop anytime over a roundabout in a semi.
One thing I missed your mention was the amount of trash and litter in the U.S. I find it disgusting and is getting progressively worse. I never see trash in any of your UK videos.
I hope to meet you one day when you are visiting again!
Haven't driven in America, but have around much of Europe. The only country I have found appreciably different was Italy. Driving at the speed limit on the motorway and having a whole line of tiny underpowered FIATs inches from my back bumper, using my car to keep them up to speed was quite unnerving the first time.
Exactly the opposite! Grown up in Europe I drove in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Italy you name it. Chaos, no parking available, tailgaters and extreme speeders. In the US everything is more relaxed and people are more courteous drivers. Watch some dash can videos from the UK and see how much better they drive. Of course Southern California is among the worst spots to drive in the US.
That's the city for ya... whether in Europe or in the U.S., but out on the highways Europe wins hands down for better drivers. Europeans tend to drive more effectively/efficiently than the "monotonous-driving in all lanes" Americans.
@@helder6175 And I exploit their inefficient, monotonous driving style, looking for empty spaces to weave in and out of traffic all the time....
I can't wait for you to visit the midwest. Completely different type of driver. Same thing with East Coast Drivers. Very much their own beast. As someone who rented a car and drove around Scotland, I can relate to the whole "fish out of water" feeling when driving in a foreign country. Other side of the car. Other side of the road. Roads narrower than driveways in the US. Left turns are like right turns. Right turns you have to watch cross traffic. AND WHAT'S WITH THE UNMARKED ROUNDABOUTS?!?!? The first one I hit, I almost crashed into someone. I just hoped they knew I was an American and forgave me my bad European driving. Great video!!
I've lived in L.A my whole life. Except for a few years in England and Germany.
If you've never driven in this city, it is quite scary. But I am used to it.
People do use blinkers, but not that much. On a freeway, there are no rules. No lanes for faster cars, no nothing. I would suggest that during the rush hour, you stick to the "back roads". Drive through the neighborhoods. Wherever you go, you'll get there in one piece and in time even.
Cops in L.A. can be nervous, but I've never had any problems with them and I have been pulled over quite a few times. Mostly for speeding. But if you are courteous, they'll be courteous too.
the bits about the driver aggression were hilarious. I think we here ( South Africa, Pretoria-- Johannesburg to be specific) are somewhere in between UK and LA as you describe them. Someone may let you in but best move in quickly and get going...quickly.. indicating and being overtaken is a sign of weakness for some😁😁 Who wants to be predictable after all?
Thanks for the driving lesson! Also, I live in Northwest Arkansas and we have plenty of roundabouts and drivers are slowly getting used to them. It was a big deal when we started seeing them here.
Up here in eastern Massachusetts there are countless roundabouts (we call it a rotary) and they’re VERY dangerous. The Cape Cod area is loaded with them, and it’s very dangerous. Western Massachusetts doesn’t have hardly any roundabouts. Massachusetts is the only state in the northeast that has lots of roundabouts, so it really messes with drivers from other states who maybe never saw one before. First of all, unlike the south, people in this area are always extremely rude and nasty, and that’s how they drive. When you come to a roundabout here, don’t expect anyone to slow down or give you the turn to go (even if it is your turn), and people honk scream and give you the finger when they are the ones in the wrong. Lots of one way streets here too (Boston is always rated as the worst city in the US to drive in for a reason) and you’ll often see people going the wrong way.
The one thing to take from this video is don’t bother going there.
I love driving out here in Cali, its so liberating if you're into driving! So much fun!
It really is a great state for driving, it’s such an incredibly beautiful state with lots of great driving roads. I live in Connecticut now, but I used to live in Santa Barbara. As long as you avoid the populated areas of Los Angeles county, and all urban areas in the state, it’s a great place to drive. I used to own a Mazda Miata in California and it was a blast to drive fast in the mountains and rural areas. Northern California is especially great for driving. Whenever I hear people bitch about awful it is to drive in California, I always ask them where they were, and they always say somewhere in the L. A. area. San Francisco sucks for driving, but then again, you don’t need a car in San Francisco. The problem with L.A. is the insane size of the county. The subway system they have is inadequate for such a massive metropolis, and I wouldn’t want to be riding in the subway when a big earthquake hits.
In my county in Indiana we are transitioning to roudabouts wherever is possible. At first people fussed about them, but for the most part they are getting full acceptance.
Pedestrian crossings and traffic lights both having green lights (ie: you turn into a pedestrian crossing with a green light) is the same here in Japan, and it is really dangerous at times.........
Sometimes have bicycles come out of NOWHERE, and just do not check oncoming traffic - almost had a few accidents. NOT SAFE.
And I thought things were bad enough here in the UK 😳
I have driven in the USA twice now and I to decided to do it properly by hiring a muscle car on both visits. We went to Florida to visit the Daytona 24hrs and roads from Orlando to Daytona itself were mostly highways and the only thing I had to remember was pull in for the toll roads, but overall it was very easy to drive their.
Also Nationwide credit cards from the UK hate US petrol pumps.
Thanks for the video. I'll be in LA at Easter and then will be driving up to Seattle via PCH. I already booked a 'Luxury' car with Alamo for the trip.
Yep, also worked on both coasts. 2 wheels and 4. As a Brit it's always hilarious what they get upto. Bought a TransAm from a Sheriff's crim sale, still with bullet hole in the door. 500 bucks well spent. Florida smelled a little browner driving that thing at speed in the wet.
Always like this type of video
Did you venture out to Watts, Crenshaw or Compton, heard its quite pleasant this time of the year!
Glad you enjoyed your trip to the USA.
California is the USA??? 🤷♂️
this was a great video
Excellent James!
I've not visited LA but I've driven in Orlando many times. I do like the right on a red and after the first day I soon settle in to the local driving style.
I have found that many of those freeway slip.ramps have bad cambers and of course the cars are much more softly sprung than I'm Europe so don't fare too well cornering at speed.
The drainage on freeways is also often not up to the job and when you are overtaken by a truck with very little spray suppression visibility is non existent.
I think the rules regarding parking facing forward in a bay is probably due to the fact that in .any states front license plates are not required.
As challenging as driving in the states may be it's still less challenging that I've found when I've driven in south East Asia, that's a whole other level.
One thing Jay you should know, once you get about an hour out of LA things get far more normal. Something about the volume of cars on the road and the wild roads make everyone on edge. Outlying areas are far more sane
A lot of these things are somewhat regional, but the merging issue is a partial explanation for why Americans prefer cars with more horsepower.
James,
I moved here from Scotland 27 years ago and most of that time I have worked in the public transportation area. Currently I work as a charter bus driver, a job I absolutely love! However, I would like to confirm AMERICANS CANNOT DRIVE!😩
Keep up the good work, I enjoy your videos immensely.😁
Thanks for watching here on JayEmm & Friends!
Doesn't the current Jeep Wrangler use the ZF8 transmission?
I'm American, live in southern CA, and I completely agree. That's why I really hated how work took away our WFH status... All my work is done for Washington state. People run red lights more blatantly and take turns from lanes they shouldn't more than ever. Not to mention the growing entitled and violent nature of Americans in general
Well timed, I’m over there next week!
Would love to hear your observations. Is “there” going to be California?
Commenting as an American - American drivers are some of the most self-important, entitled, unaware drivers out there. I visited Scotland this summer and it was so nice that everyone always used turn signals (before braking I might add), knew how to use a roundabout, drive with skills, and were just in general more courteous and aware than ~97% of Americans on the road. I also appreciated that in Europe people knew how to drive on twisty roads and would carry good speed on such a piece of tarmac. In the US most people have never even approached the limits of what their car is capable of and therefore drive like senior citizens on most twisty roads. Worse still, Americans won’t pull over and let you pass if they’re going slow because of the whole entitlement problem we have in this country. Le sigh. I wish this weren’t the truth, but it is. Americans (most of em any way) are shitty drivers at best.
Some very interesting insights for someone who has never been to the USA!
It was also interesting to Americans who don’t live in california
The worst bit, its that ireland is the worst mix o both, no roundabouts, all crossings and no hard shoulder.
19:09 that explains why I’ve heard Americans say they need lots of power in their cars
Debit and cash for gas is one price. They charge 10 cents more per gallon for credit cards.
Disagree that LA has parking. Valet when you can. If you get a rental to drive the canyons that’s great but better off using uber the rest of the time Parking can take ages and cost a lot
Very similar to London. However, we've got a pretty good public transport system... Lack of parking almost always makes getting public transport the lesser of the evils.
From Midlands been out here for 20 years in La La land mostly in Topanga on my second 2003 m-sport 540i e39 - the stealth wannabe M5 - and what a car to drive here for such a good price… anyways enjoy LA
And I thought that Clarkson was a bit too harsh at some times. I was wrong.
I feel the Wrangler is probably the best rental car you can get for North America as a tourist, as one may not realise how bad the road can be and the Wrangler makes them less daunting, ESPECIALLY if you ever go anywhere near the Rocky Mountains where major roads can be quite literally unpaved! When I went on a trip to BC and Alberta I had booked a basic sedan at the rental company, but due to them not having any they got me a Wrangler instead, and in retrospect I can't imagine myself driving the unpaved Whistler-Lillooet-Kamloops road in a Nissan Sentra 💀
Can't speak about US drivers, but Canadian drivers seemed quite well behaved, and driving around big cities like Vancouver or Calgary in such a big car to me never felt overwhelming. I get the feeling Canada is probably the Easy mode compared to the US though.
Albertan here. Yes, Alberta/BC are a bit better than the US big cities but not by much. I think drivers don't have much situational awareness so it is very important to keep your eyes peeled for everything.
Nice Porsche in those clips! 🥳
Can confirm Jay! LOL
It was great during lockdowns, less traffic meant everyone on the road was friendly.
It was also harrowing. Traffic moving twice as fast as it normally did.
It was awesome! Empty highways and high average speeds. Loved it!
I'm from Southern Cali & can confirm most of this is true, except I'd like to point out there's no I-101 there, just the 101, slight correction but thanks for the video.
2:00
It'd be like calling the M25 the MM25.
As SE Asian, driving in LA actually looks so easy
Be careful, too of locals racing up in the right most lane, when you’re attempting to move over. I actually think SF Bay Area drivers are less predictable than in LA.
Yes, I live in the USA, and can confirm that 99.9% of us can not drive and are a danger to everything.
As an American surprise turn lanes are infuriating.
Brilliant introduction to driving in America... If they can't drive, why are they so against Tesla FSD? Surely when it finally isn't a Betta it will provide a level of safe interaction?
The percentage of people that can't drive are a result of traveling to areas that have different rules/ regulations in different cities for example its so diverse in America a person that can drive in California doesn't mean they can drive like people more out south vice versa...Teslas are problematic alot of people can't handle the privilege and will do crazy stuff like drink eat well driving or worse getting into the back well its in said mode and tesla's have been known to need help alot of times to prevent crashing etc .. Self system aren't what I like to say optimal for true self driving without a human making sure the system aren't malfunctioning.
@@trilliamogdlocog4986 At the moment... Agreed. Give it just 3 years
to be fair I found Britain awful to drive in as well. The street signs are slapped around any old place. Yea sure sometimes its on a sogn on the corner sometimes its slapped on a building 5 stories up. The roads are terrifyingly narrow.
One more tip on dealing with the police. Instead of leaving your hands on the wheel, put both of your hands out the driver's side window, palm up. That way, the officer can see them clearly if they approach your vehicle from behind.
I had plenty of encounters with the police during traffic stops in California. Always had a good experience, rarely ever got a ticket.
Your first point is the most important. It's not strictly true, mind you, but it is the most important because it's true often enough. If nobody knew how to drive it would be a non-stop bloodbath. Say not that people don't know how to drive, but they know how people *do* drive and have discovered that being part of the solution isn't going to work. The rules of the road and what actually happens 'ain't never but similar.' If as a visitor you drive as if you are surrounded by unpredictable lunatics with only a passing familiarity with the actual rules you'll probably be alright. Note that outside of large cities people may scrupulously obey rules other than the speed limit, or may not. It all depends on where you are. Observe and emulate the locals, and let caution be your watchword at all times. BTW in the Seattle area and many other places roundabouts are being seen more and more and are met with surprisingly little confusion. I encountered them in Europe in the service and always thought they were sensible, so I'm am happy to see them arriving here. Oh, and the danger of being shot in a road-rage incident is comparable to being struck by lightning. Colorful languages and 'helpful' gestures are vastly more common and you may be baffled as to what provoked them but that's as may be.
My first time going to America I asked the immigration officer how she was as a greeting she looked at me like I had just slapped her. Very strange.
Life-long Los Angeles resident here. Los Angeles is a formerly wonderful city, still with (usually!) great weather, wonderful nature, etc.
Yes, we have poor drivers, and some are very aggressive.
Worse is our homeless and their shantytowns, the result of decades of failed regional politics.
We do retain an amazing car culture- and our California- Mexican food!
I guess everywhere has it's pros & cons!
LA diving isn't something I wouldn't apply to all of Socal, and especially not rest of the US.
Thought you said that was a škoda, then i was dissapointed
Beware of lost tyres and broke down cars on a highway.......
As an American trucker, holy crap *United States residents REALLY REALLY can’t drive*
You’re so funny, driving in London isn’t any better then in LA, despite we don’t have a functioning public transportation. Calabasas is an awesome place to be if you’re a car enthusiast (I live there), as you often have more garage space and the best roads in the area. American people don’t know how to drive because there’re generations that teaching each other how to drive bad. The rest of the world requires a proper driving school. I hope you enjoyed your trip altogether.
Driving in or around LA during peak hours is the worst. Main reason to never live there, among others.
I've heard that the thing to do when being arrested is to run, shouting: "Don't kill me!", then when they tackle you down to the ground shout: "I'm not resisting!!" and fight back like hell (give it all you've got, and try to reach into your pockets), then when they're cuffing you start shouting as hard as you can and repeat: "I can't breathe!!" 1000 times at least. Once you've been arrested _do not_ call a laywer, just have your mother tell the TV cameras: "He was always a good boy, he never did nothing wrong". If you're a hardened enough criminal Kamala Harris or AOC will bail you out, but if you're a law abiding citizen you're screwed.
So true...
"I hate coming here." - Jeremy Clarkson when he visits the States.
Honestly, I'm American and loathe how Americans generally drive. I so much prefer driving in Europe. I have European roots and visit Europe frequently so I see the differences compared to these American zombies. Not every single one of them is horrible, but unfortunately, an overwhelming number of them are... Most of them are, actually. When I'm in Europe and seldomly see a car moving slower in the fast lane or not using a turn signal, I say aloud, "damn American tourists."
Nope, we are not taught the way that we were in the past. Skills, common courtesy etc. Makes me crazy
Bizarre.
“Americans can’t drive” well I’m sharing this with my American friends XD
As you drive in California and get closer to any large city, can you feel your IQ go down? As for US drivers you are correct, simply because no one is taught to drive they are terrorized by laws instead, purely designed for insurance company / county union employee profits only.
Now James, how about doing a video for us Yanks on driving in the UK? Your road paint makes no sense to me
Love the videos this ones was quite hilarious being an american viewer but it's Los Angeles what did you expect 🤣😭 try driving in New york its a nightmare aswell but there are a few places that aren't bad you should visit Denver,Pikes Peak, Texas etc I feel people from Britain/UK get a bad taste about one place in the United States then claim a generalization about America as a whole..the country is so diverse your bound to get alot of different experiences in different areas but aye mate same can be said about lads in the UK I'm sure there are places that are better then others if not then that's kinda like claiming that your 💩 don't stink..🤷♂️👀
Any big UK city is particularly bad. They are smaller and the roads and buildings likely older than the car. London is bad but city's like Birmingham, Coventry or Bradford will be extremely busy and totally unforgiving to anyone who doesn't know where they are going or hesitates in the slightest
@@The_0p3r8t0r Thanks for the reply and honesty I definitely wanna go visit a few places when I get a chance just to experience everything for myself, then I'll be able to truly get a census of how much us Americans truly drive 🤣 but that's what I figured there's bound to be hair pulling traffic about anywhere you go in this world especially in the main continents..
I can assure you not everyone drives well in the UK. That's for sure! Hope you do get to visit. There are some brilliant roads to try out
As an American, can confirm this is part of why I wouldn't live in LA
Glad I no longer live in LA. Bad enough when I have to go to Phoenix - which is rarely now. Yes, many Americans generally can't steer . . .never mind drive
Except it would be nice to drive Topanga Canyon (the bit from Woodland Hills to PCH. There was one particularly narrow canyon road (Las Florez?) between Mulholland Highway a d PCH in Malibu.
Good old third world 'Merica...
7:06 😂
Lol I thought you'd get slaughtered in the comments. Whenever I grumble about American's non-existent driving skills, I get the usual rant which includes something about Americans winning WWII 🙄
As with everything, not just driving, from you to us--don't worry about being blunt... No matter what you say about Americans, it's nothing compared to what we say about you.
Central LA is just crazy, the only place on our US travels where after a couple of stressful driving days trying to see the sights I said to my wife “shall we just grab a cab today” the sat nav tried to kill us a few times 🫣