The Barnes Firm

Why Are San Francisco and Oakland Two of the Worst Cities to Drive In?

• September 7, 2018
• Sandy

Do you commute by car around the San Francisco or Oakland area? If so, you’re driving in two of the worst cities to drive in.

If you’re only visiting the Bay Area, you might not realize how bad this problem has gotten until you experience it! It seems like traffic is getting worse in every major U.S. city, but these two areas have some unique characteristics that make them especially difficult.

What are the Worst Cities to Drive In?

When you think of the worst cities to drive in, which metro areas come to your mind first? You’ve probably listed off major areas like Los Angeles and New York City. While these areas certainly have their own traffic problems, the Bay Area also ranks as some of the worst traffic in the country.

Both San Francisco and Oakland constantly rank amongst the worst places to drive in the country. Why has driving become such a nightmare in these areas? San Francisco car accident attorneys explain why:

We Spend a Lot of Time in Traffic

Spending time in traffic is frustrating, to say the least. Unfortunately for San Francisco drivers, we’re spending a lot of time on the road. San Fran is ranked as one of the cities where commuters spend some of the highest annual hours in car congestion, according to San Francisco car accident attorneys.

There’s High Car Theft

It’s not just traffic that drivers in the area have to worry about. Car theft is also a problem, particularly in the Oakland area. According to WalletHub, Oakland is tied with Detroit, Michigan and Albuquerque, New Mexico for having the highest car-theft rate.

If you’re driving this area, Oakland car accident attorneys urge you to take extra precautions. Always lock your car and never leave anything valuable inside.

Heavy Traffic Flow

There are over seven million people in the Bay Area, and many of them work right in downtown San Francisco or Silicon Valley. This flow of traffic causes serious problems, as anyone who lives east must go through the Oakland area every rush hour.

San Francisco is also located on a peninsula, so traffic must merge onto a couple different bridges in order to get into the city every day. There are other ways to get into the city, such as trains and boats, but this hasn’t done much to ease the car traffic every day.

Mountainous Terrain

San Francisco is famous for a lot of different things, and one of those is its hilly landscape. These hills make for fun cable car rides for tourists, but they can be a nightmare for daily commuters.

The hills also add an additional challenge by making people drive more slowly than they normally would on flatter terrains. These slowdowns can create huge backups during rush hour.

In addition to the mountainous terrain, San Francisco is known to be quite foggy! San Francisco car accident attorneys recommend avoiding driving altogether if the fog is diminishing your view beyond the point of safe driving.

Involved in an Accident?

Accidents are bound to happen when you live in one of the worst cities to drive in. If you’ve been injured or involved in an accident in the San Francisco or Oakland area, The Barnes Firm can help you.

Visit our website to learn more and contact us today to discuss your case.