New Report: Traffic Crashes Cost San Francisco $500M a Year
A Wake-Up Call for San Francisco: Our Streets Are Unsafe—And It’s Costing Us
A new report from the City’s Budget and Legislative Analyst confirms what many of us feel every day: San Francisco’s streets are dangerous—and we’re all paying the price.
Photo: Napper Tandy Parklet Crash in February. Credit: ABC7 News
Commissioned by Supervisor Myrna Melgar, the report finds that traffic crashes have cost our city over $2.5 billion in the last five years. That’s $500 million per year in medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and legal expenses. A hidden tax we all pay—because we’re not doing enough to make our streets safe.
At KidSafe SF, we’re calling this what it is: a preventable crisis. From 2018 to 2022, there were:
over 90,000 crashes.
33,000 injuries.
193 deaths.
$500 million a year in losses.
And yet, San Francisco invests just $33 million per year on staffing its street safety efforts—less than 3% of SFMTA’s overall budget. SFMTA spent an additional $60 million on capital projects for streets, which can include safety upgrades, in 2024-25.
We know what works:
✅ Quick-build projects reduce crashes by 30%
✅ Vision Zero policies have saved cities like New York $90M in healthcare costs
✅ Daylighting and better street design prevent serious injuries
So why is San Francisco moving so slowly?
City leaders must act with urgency. That includes:
Prioritizing quick-build projects
Monitoring how city employees drive
Removing red tape that delays lifesaving improvements
Let’s stop paying the price of inaction. Let’s build a city where kids can walk, bike, and play safely.
Want to get involved?
Join Supervisor Myrna Melgar for a Safe Streets, Strong SF rally on Tuesday, April 29 at noon on the steps of City Hall to demand full funding for safe streets and investment in a healthy economic recovery.
