New report shows cost of crashes while City has no Vision Zero policy
The human cost of traffic crashes in San Francisco is immeasurable.
In the past decade alone, more than 325 people have been killed in traffic crashes. More than 5,000 people have been seriously injured in traffic crashes on our streets, many with their lives forever changed.
Today, a new study looks at what is measurable: the economic cost of traffic crashes in San Francisco. The report from the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s Office shows that more than $2.5 billion was spent in just the past five years. This includes the costs of property damage; medical, workplace, and insurance costs; emergency response; congestion; and market and household productivity.
This report comes at a moment when San Francisco has no Vision Zero policy or plan in place. The City’s Vision Zero policy expired last year, and the last interagency action plan for Vision Zero is from 2021. Meanwhile, 2024 was the deadliest year for traffic deaths in a decade, making the City’s efforts and progress on traffic safety more urgent than ever.
It’s time for Mayor Lurie, the Board of Supervisors, and key City agencies to truly prioritize redesigning and enforcing streets to keep us safe. It’s costing precious lives – and yes, dollars. Vision Zero can be a success story here, but our leaders have to step up now.
The report also makes crucial recommendations for more frequent reporting and analysis of traffic crash data from the SF Department of Public Health and the SFMTA, plus a cost analysis of what types and scale of street safety improvements would result in fewer crashes.
The report also refers to the SFDPH’s plans to replicate the American Journal of Public Health study done on New York City’s Vision Zero program – which would be highly valuable in understanding the correlation between safe streets investments and medical cost savings.
The City is underinvesting in the solutions that will ultimately save it money. Many street safety projects are simply not that expensive and use just paint, posts, and signs which have proven safety results.
We don’t need more tragedies or reasons for the City to renew its efforts on Vision Zero. Dangerous streets affect all of us, every day, and should be a priority for our City’s leaders.
Email Mayor Lurie and City leaders now, and join us on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday, April 29.
We are grateful to the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s Office for producing this important research, and to District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar for requesting this study.
Banner Image: Emily Huston
