About two-thirds of injury crashes in San Francisco happen at intersections, according to the SFMTA’s 2017 to 2022 Traffic Crashes Report, and a few corners account for far more than their share. Many Peninsula residents drive into the city for work, and a San Mateo personal injury attorney often hears about crashes at the same handful of locations. Below are six intersections from the SFMTA’s highest injury collision list where drivers should slow down and pay closer attention, followed by five Bay Area firms that handle car accident claims.
Which San Francisco intersections have the most injury crashes?
The six below all appear on the SFMTA’s list of intersections with 30 or more injury collisions between 2017 and 2022. Driving at an unsafe speed for conditions was the most common primary cause of injury crashes citywide in that period, behind 18 percent of them.
1. Why is Gough Street and Market Street the city’s top crash location?
It recorded 48 injury crashes and 70 people injured from 2017 to 2022, the most of any San Francisco intersection. The Gough, Haight and Market junction also led the city in injury crashes caused by drivers running red lights, with 25. Gough is a fast one-way street feeding into a busy Market Street crossing, so treat yellow lights as a signal to stop.
2. What makes 13th Street, Duboce Avenue, Mission and Otis risky?
This multi-street junction had 43 injury crashes and 56 people injured over six years. It sits beneath the Central Freeway, where traffic from several directions meets in a complicated layout. It also recorded 15 injury crashes tied to red-light violations, so check that cross traffic has stopped before entering on a green.
3. What should drivers know about Market Street and Octavia Boulevard?
It had 43 injury crashes and 58 people injured, and it ranked first in the city for crashes involving people on bicycles, with 20. Freeway traffic exits onto Octavia here, and the report flagged it for rear-end crashes and illegal turns. The city has added automated enforcement at this corner.
4. Why is Hayes Street and Van Ness Avenue dangerous for turning drivers?
It recorded 35 injury crashes and 58 people injured. Thirteen of those crashes involved a driver at fault while turning left, and seven involved motorcycles. Van Ness is a state highway with heavy through traffic, so wait for a clear gap and watch for riders before turning left.
5. What causes crashes at 8th Street and Mission Street?
It had 35 injury crashes and 37 people injured from 2017 to 2022. It also appears on the city’s lists for sideswipe crashes and bicycle injuries. Check your mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes, since unsafe lane changes caused 9 percent of injury crashes citywide.
6. Why is Geneva Avenue and Mission Street on the list?
It recorded 33 injury crashes, 44 people injured and one fatal crash. It led the city in crashes where a left-turning driver was at fault, with 18, and in crashes where drivers failed to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, with 11. Drivers coming up from the Peninsula through the Excelsior should slow down and scan crosswalks before turning.
Which Bay Area law firms handle San Francisco intersection crashes?
These firms in San Francisco, the East Bay, the Peninsula and Marin handle car accident and injury claims:
- Beahm Law
- The Hassell Law Group
- Heinrich Law, PC
- Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos
- Martino & Rossi Law Firm
1. Beahm Law: San Mateo Personal Injury Attorney
Beahm Law is a Bay Area personal injury firm founded by Jason Beahm, Esq. It is based in San Francisco and also serves clients in San Mateo and Oakland. The firm handles car accident claims along with catastrophic injuries such as spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, wrongful death and premises liability cases. Intersection crashes often come down to who had the right of way, and the firm helps clients collect the police report, photos, witness accounts and any available video that answer that question. Clients can request a free case evaluation before deciding how to proceed.
2. The Hassell Law Group
The Hassell Law Group is a personal injury firm with an office on 19th Avenue in San Francisco.
3. Heinrich Law, PC
Heinrich Law, PC is a personal injury law office in Emeryville.
4. Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos
Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos is a law firm in San Mateo that handles injury cases.
5. Martino & Rossi Law Firm
Martino & Rossi Law Firm is a personal injury firm in San Rafael.
How can drivers lower their risk at San Francisco’s busiest intersections?
The city’s data points to a few habits that matter most: slow down, stop on yellow at busy junctions and wait for a real gap before turning left across traffic. Crashes on city streets are reported to the San Francisco Police Department, and if a road or signal problem played a part, a claim against a public agency generally must be filed within six months. If you were hurt at one of these intersections, a San Mateo personal injury attorney can explain your options while the evidence is still fresh, so schedule a consultation before giving a statement to any insurer.