Where car is king and time is precious

It's 5 a.m. when a bleary-eyed Gary Orozco pulls away from his Fontana house and heads to Los Angeles to visit his grandmother. Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Taking on the responsibility to check on her after his uncle died, the 21-year-old makes the weekly 50-mile drive before sunrise to beat the heaviest morning traffic.

And often, it's not before 8p.m. when Orozco dares to venture back on the freeway and return to his home in the Inland Empire.

"It's kind of a pain when I get to Hollywood," Orozco said. "But, still, it's to see my grandma."

In a region where the car is king, Orozco is among millions of Southland residents who plan their days around traffic virtually without a second thought.