Compared to around here, people are extremely chilled out over there.
Like I said, tiny D.C. has like 650k TOTAL population. LA fwys probably have more than that on their fwys at 2:00 a.m.
The DC metro area has between 6 and 7 million (yes, I know LA-San Bernardino-Riverside-Orange County has about 18 million). If you throw in the Baltimore area that rises to 9-10 million (a LOT of people from Baltimore and southern PA commute into DC).
When I lived in Riverside back in the early 90s, I used to go into LA all the time. The only thing that fazed me was motorcycles speeding along between lanes when traffic was backed up on the 91 (and that is just because I wasn't used to it at the time).
Don't get me wrong: I know that there is traffic there and a lot of it...and for long, long distances. But it is mellow. People mostly follow most of the rules...making it a far more relaxing occasion that other places around.
I mean, you guys even invented "low speed chases." How much more chill can you be?
D.C. is a piker when compared to massive populations centers and epic traffic venues such as the LA area.
The LA area is so massive now, SF is considered north LA with San Diego as south LA. In fact, on the coastal plain all they way to the mountains, it's solid people/cars from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara. No joke.