San Francisco has spent more than a decade working toward Vision Zero, the goal of ending traffic deaths and severe injuries. A new report suggests the city is moving the wrong way. If you live, work, or commute here, the numbers are worth knowing. If you have already been hurt in a crash, what you do in the next few days matters more than any statistic.
What the new numbers show
According to SFist’s August 2026 report on the SFMTA’s mid-year findings, serious collisions in San Francisco rose 8% in the first half of 2026. There were 100 fatal or severe injury crashes in the first six months of the year, compared with 96 in the same period of 2025. That is also higher than the 92 recorded in 2014, the year San Francisco launched Vision Zero.
The rise came even though overall injury collisions declined. In other words, fewer injury crashes are happening, but more of the ones that do happen are serious.
Pedestrians have been hit especially hard. Walk SF reported that 12 people walking had been killed by that point in the year, compared with nine at the same point in 2025.
Speed cameras are working where they exist
There was one encouraging finding. The report found that speeding dropped 79% at automated speed camera locations since the program launched last year. The cameras are installed at 33 locations, and safety advocates want the program expanded.
That is good news for the streets near those cameras. It also means most of the city’s streets do not have one, and a camera that slows traffic is not the same as a camera that records what happened in your crash.
E-bikes and e-scooters are part of the picture
Doctors at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center report a steady stream of patients hurt while riding e-scooters and e-bikes, often without helmets. The hospital’s chief of emergency medicine said severe head, facial, and internal injuries are common.
If you were riding a scooter or e-bike when a driver hit you, you can still pursue a claim against a careless driver. Do not let an insurance adjuster’s comments about a helmet or about riding a scooter talk you out of getting real advice first.
What to do after a crash in San Francisco
- Call 911 from the scene if anyone is hurt, and get the police report number before you leave.
- Get medical care promptly, even if you feel shaken but okay. Head and internal injuries do not always show symptoms right away.
- Photograph the vehicles, your scooter or bike, the street, the crosswalk, the signals, and any visible injuries.
- Collect names and phone numbers from independent witnesses. In a busy city, people move on quickly.
- Look for cameras on storefronts, apartment buildings, buses, and passing cars, and ask about footage within days, in writing.
- Write down your own account the same day, including the time, the signal, and where each person was.
- Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company. You do not have to give them a recorded statement before you understand your injuries.
Why documentation matters more than ever
When a crash causes a serious injury, the insurance company’s first questions are about fault and about how badly you were really hurt. Answering both depends on records: the police report, medical records that start soon after the crash, photographs, witness statements, and video. Those records are easiest to gather in the first days and much harder to find weeks later.
Our office helps injured people document what happened, present the claim to the insurance company, and handle the back and forth so they can focus on recovering. If you were hurt in a crash here, our San Francisco car accident attorney page explains how we handle these matters, and our car accident practice page covers what to expect from the claims process. There are no attorney’s fees unless we win. Case costs are handled separately and are explained in the written fee agreement before you sign anything.
The city’s numbers show that serious crashes are not slowing down on their own. Watch for people walking and riding, slow down near crosswalks, and if someone else’s carelessness hurts you, start documenting right away.