Safest Way to Get Around San Francisco? An Injury Lawyer Ranks Every Option

John Roach, Esq. | October 10, 2026 | Car Accidents

Safest Way to Get Around San Francisco? An Injury Lawyer Ranks Every Option

Almost every day, a call or an email comes into my office from someone who was recently hurt getting around San Francisco — walking to work, riding a scooter to BART, catching a ride home. That’s led me to ask myself a simple question: which way of getting around San Francisco is actually the safest?

To answer it, I went through the city’s traffic data, emergency-room reports, transit safety figures, and published autonomous-vehicle data. Below, I rank the main ways people get around San Francisco from safest to least safe, with the benefits, drawbacks, and practical safety tips for each. I’ve represented injured people here since 2009, so I’ll also flag what the law requires — and what to do if something goes wrong.

Quick Answer: What Is the Safest Way to Get Around San Francisco?

By the available data, driverless cars like Waymo and public transit have the lowest crash-injury risk of any way to get around San Francisco. Walking accounts for the largest share of traffic deaths, and motorcycles carry the highest risk per mile. E-scooters and e-bikes are the fastest-growing source of injuries.

At a glance: San Francisco transportation safety

Rank (safest first)	Biggest benefit	Biggest risk
1. Waymo (driverless)	Lowest injury-crash rates	Cost, wait times, limited area
2. Muni / BART	Very low crash risk	Personal-security concerns
3. Car	Crash protection inside	Speeding and distraction
Uber / Lyft (car)	Door-to-door, lower fares	Same crash risk as cars; passenger security
4. Bicycle	Injuries trending down	Dooring, right hooks, tracks
5. E-bike	Flattens hills	High speeds, severe injuries
6. E-scooter	Cheap first/last mile	Fastest-growing injury source
7. Motorcycle / moped	Parking, lane splitting	Highest risk per mile
8. Walking	Free, healthy, no parking	Largest share of traffic deaths

How This Ranking Works

The list runs from safest (#1) to least safe (#8). No single number captures risk: share of deaths shows where harm lands, but it also reflects how many people use each mode — far more people walk than ride motorcycles — while per-mile rates tell a different story. The ranking weighs both, along with which direction injuries are trending. Treat it as a practical guide, not a precise risk score.

1. Driverless Cars (Waymo): Lowest Crash Rates, With Limits

Through June 2026, Waymo reports 271.3 million rider-only miles across its markets, including the Bay Area. Against its human-driver benchmark for the same roads, Waymo’s published safety data shows 82% fewer injury crashes and 95% fewer serious-injury crashes. Keep in mind these are the company’s own figures measured against its own benchmark, not a government finding — though Waymo does publish the underlying crash data so outside researchers can check it.

Benefits: The lowest injury-crash rates in the published data. No drunk, drowsy, or distracted driver, consistent obedience to speed limits and signals, and no stranger behind the wheel.

Drawbacks: Cost and availability. In a study of nearly 95,000 Bay Area ride requests from late 2025, price aggregator Obi found Waymo averaged $19.69 a trip versus $17.47 for Uber and $15.47 for Lyft — about 13% more than Uber, down from a 30–40% premium in mid-2025. Waits ran longer than Uber’s, especially at evening rush. Service areas are limited, and driverless cars can still behave unpredictably around emergency scenes and unusual situations.

Safety tips: Buckle up in the back seat. If anything goes wrong, report it in the app and screenshot the trip details. Note that Tesla’s lower-priced Bay Area ride service still has a human in the driver’s seat — it is not a driverless robotaxi here.

If a driverless car injures you, the claim runs against the operating company and its insurer; California regulators require permitted driverless passenger services to carry $5 million in liability coverage. For crashes involving driver-assist features, see my post on Tesla Autopilot injury claims.

2. Muni and BART: Low Crash Risk, Personal-Security Concerns

By crash statistics, public transit is one of the safest ways to get around. Muni reported 423 crimes in 2025, its lowest count since 2020, and 75% of surveyed riders said they feel safe on Muni all or most of the time. Harassment and late-night security remain the concerns riders raise most.

Benefits: Very low crash-injury risk, inexpensive, extensive coverage, and professional operators. Transit agencies are also held to the highest legal duty of care toward passengers.

Drawbacks: Personal-security concerns, especially late at night. Falls when buses brake or pull away, crowding, and platform hazards cause many of the transit injuries I see.

Safety tips: Hold a grab bar or sit down before the bus moves. At night, ride near the operator or in the first BART car. Report harassment to the operator right away, and note the line, vehicle number, and time if anything happens.

Under Civil Code §2100, a carrier must use the utmost care and diligence for passengers’ safe carriage, and in Lopez v. Southern California Rapid Transit District (1985), the California Supreme Court held a public bus agency can be liable for failing to protect riders from violence by other passengers. Recent cases test that duty: a pending lawsuit alleges a 9-San Bruno operator drove two full loops before getting help for an unresponsive passenger, and in September 2026 a rider was attacked on a Muni bus in SoMa after stepping in to help two women — I covered what the law requires of Muni after that stabbing. See also my guides to Muni bus accident claims, BART wrongful death claims, and wrongful death in San Francisco.

The Six-Month Deadline for Claims Against Muni, BART, and the City

Key deadline: If you were injured on or by a Muni bus or train, a BART train, a city-owned vehicle, or a dangerous public sidewalk or street, California generally requires you to file a written government claim within six months of the injury before you can sue (Government Code §911.2). The agency then has 45 days to act (§912.4). If it rejects the claim in writing, you generally have six months from that notice to file a lawsuit (§945.6). Miss the six-month window and you can apply for permission to file a late claim within one year (§911.4) — but that is an uphill request, not a safety net.

The claim must go to the right entity: Muni claims go to the City and County of San Francisco, while BART is a separate district with its own process. My government claims lawyer page and guide to the six-month deadline walk through it step by step.

3. Driving a Car: Protected Inside, Dangerous to Others

Drivers accounted for 12% of San Francisco traffic fatalities from 2020 to 2024, and passengers another 7%. Speeding remains the single biggest factor in the city’s deadliest crashes.

Benefits: Airbags, seatbelts, and crumple zones make a car’s cabin far more protective than a bike or scooter. Door-to-door travel, weather protection, and room for kids and cargo.

Drawbacks: Ownership, insurance, and parking costs are high. Cars are involved in most serious crashes in the city, rear-end and broadside collisions injure occupants every day, and distracted drivers remain a constant threat.

Safety tips: Buckle up in every seat. Put the phone away — distracted driving is behind a large share of the crashes I see. Slow down on hills and near schools, look twice for pedestrians before turning, and carry strong uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on your own policy.

My San Francisco car accident attorney page covers how these claims are built.

Uber and Lyft: Convenient, With Trade-Offs

Benefits: Door-to-door service, short wait times, and lower average fares than Waymo. Under California law, rideshare companies must carry $1 million in liability coverage from the moment a driver accepts a ride until the trip ends.

Drawbacks: A rideshare is still a human-driven car, with the same crash risks as any other — plus drivers who are often working an app while driving. Starting in 2026, a new law (SB 371) cut the uninsured/underinsured coverage rideshare companies must carry from $1 million to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident (their $1 million liability policy is unchanged), so if an uninsured or underinsured driver hits your Uber, your own UM/UIM policy may matter more. Passenger security is the other concern: court records reviewed by The New York Times showed Uber logged 400,181 reports of sexual assault or misconduct in the U.S. from 2017 to 2022. Uber says about 75% involved less serious conduct such as comments or flirting, and that all reports combined equal 0.006% of trips. Lyft says such reports represent far less than 1% of its rides.

Safety tips: Match the plate, car, and driver photo before you get in. Sit in the back, share your trip status with someone, and use the in-app emergency button if anything feels wrong.

Which insurance applies depends on what stage of the trip you were in. My Uber and Lyft accident lawyer page covers crash claims, and I’ve written about the 2026 Uber sexual assault verdict.

4. Bicycling: Getting Safer, Still Exposed

Traditional bicycling accounted for 5% of San Francisco traffic fatalities from 2020 to 2024, and SFMTA reports bicycle injury crashes are down about 25% compared with 2019 — real progress as the protected-lane network grows.

Benefits: Inexpensive, healthy, reliable travel times, and improving infrastructure.

Drawbacks: No protection in a crash, and per mile, riding a bike is riskier than riding inside a car. Dooring, right hooks, and track crossings put riders in the hospital every week.

Safety tips: Ride outside the door zone of parked cars. Use a front light and rear light at night. Choose protected lanes even when they add a block or two, and cross rails at 90 degrees.

I resolved a $1.7 million settlement for a cyclist with a brain injury. My bicycle accident lawyer page and dooring claims guide explain what these cases require.

5. E-Bikes: Bicycle Rules, Motorcycle-Like Injuries

City crash data groups e-bikes with regular bicycles, so emergency rooms tell the story. SF General’s ER chief told the SF Standard his department now sees at least two or three e-bike and scooter injuries a day, that only about 30% of injured riders were wearing helmets, and that catastrophic head injuries come in a couple of times a month.

Benefits: E-bikes flatten San Francisco’s hills, make longer commutes realistic, cost far less than car ownership, and use the bike-lane network.

Drawbacks: Speed. A Class 3 e-bike can assist up to 28 mph, and serious e-bike injuries increasingly resemble motorcycle injuries. Heavier bikes take longer to stop, drivers misjudge how fast you’re approaching, and cheap batteries can catch fire. No license or training is required.

Safety tips: Wear a helmet every ride — it’s required for Class 3 riders of any age. Ride at speeds drivers expect, especially through intersections and past driveways. Check brakes often, and buy bikes and batteries certified to a recognized safety standard (look for UL 2849).

Delivery riders face the most exposure; if you were hurt while delivering for an app, more than one insurance policy may apply. Parents should read my breakdown of California’s e-bike laws for kids.

6. E-Scooters and Stand-Up Devices: The Fastest-Growing Risk

E-scooters, electric skateboards, and similar stand-up devices accounted for 5% of fatalities from 2020 to 2024 — but that undersells the trend. According to SFMTA, injury crashes involving stand-up powered devices rose 32% in 2025, to more than 300, and now make up roughly 6% of all injury crashes citywide.

Benefits: Inexpensive for short trips, no parking, and an easy first- or last-mile link to Muni and BART.

Drawbacks: Small wheels catch potholes, cracks, and tracks. Scooters are unstable on steep hills, offer no protection, and are hard for drivers to see. Head and facial injuries are common.

Safety tips: Wear a helmet — it’s required under 18 and smart at any age. Riding on the sidewalk is illegal in California; use bike lanes where available. Cross Market Street’s streetcar tracks at a sharp angle, avoid steep downhill runs, and never ride two on a scooter.

When a scooter crash causes a traumatic brain injury, the full extent of the harm often isn’t clear for weeks — get evaluated even if you feel fine.

7. Motorcycles and Mopeds: Highest Risk Per Mile

Motorcyclists and moped riders made up 17% of San Francisco traffic fatalities from 2020 to 2024, the second-highest share after pedestrians, per SFMTA’s crash report. Nationally, motorcyclists die at more than 20 times the per-mile rate of passenger-car occupants.

Benefits: Easy parking, low fuel costs, and fast through traffic. Lane splitting is legal in California, which saves real time on the freeways into the city.

Drawbacks: The highest per-mile fatality risk of any mode, with no crash protection. San Francisco adds its own hazards: streetcar and cable car tracks, steep grades, slick rails in the rain, and drivers who turn left without seeing you.

Safety tips: California requires a DOT-compliant helmet; a full-face helmet and armored gear add real protection. Cross tracks at as close to a right angle as you can. Lane split only at modest speed differences. At every intersection, assume the driver waiting to turn hasn’t seen you.

My San Francisco motorcycle accident lawyer page covers how fault gets argued, my post on lane splitting explains why it shouldn’t count against you, and motorcycle crashes involving head trauma need early, careful medical documentation.

8. Walking: The Largest Share of San Francisco Traffic Deaths

Pedestrians made up 53% of all traffic deaths in San Francisco from 2020 to 2024, according to SFMTA’s 2023–2024 traffic crashes report. At least 16 people were killed on foot in 2025, most of them seniors, and the city recorded 448 vehicle-pedestrian injury crashes. About ten streets account for roughly a third of those crashes — the city’s own data shows which intersections keep producing them.

Benefits: Free, healthy, no parking, and in a compact city most short trips are walkable.

Drawbacks: Zero protection in a collision. Risk is concentrated on a handful of high-injury corridors and in turning conflicts at intersections. Fog, early winter darkness, and hills that limit sight lines all reduce how well drivers see you. Older pedestrians face by far the highest risk of dying when hit.

Safety tips: Cross with the signal and make eye contact with turning drivers before stepping out. Wear something bright or reflective after dark, especially in the fog belt. Keep your phone in your pocket at crossings. If your daily route runs along a high-injury corridor, a parallel side street is often worth the extra block.

Under Vehicle Code §21950, drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. When they don’t, the injuries are often catastrophic — the $6 million pedestrian brain injury settlement I obtained for a client started in a San Francisco crosswalk. If you’ve been hit, read what to do after a pedestrian accident in San Francisco and my pedestrian accident attorney page.

Bottom Line: Choosing the Safest Way to Get Around

No mode is risk-free, and the safest choice often depends on the trip. For crash risk alone, driverless cars and transit lead the field. For short trips, walking is hard to beat if you stay alert at crossings and avoid the worst corridors. If you ride anything on two wheels — motorcycle, scooter, e-bike, or bicycle — a helmet and visibility are the two decisions that most change your odds. Whatever you choose, the habits above matter more than the vehicle.

What to Do If You’re Hurt Getting Around San Francisco

• Get medical care right away, even if you feel fine. Brain and spinal injuries often show symptoms late.
• Photograph the scene, the vehicle, and your injuries, and get names and numbers from witnesses.
• If Muni, BART, or a city vehicle was involved, mark six months from the injury date on your calendar — that is the claim deadline.
• For Uber, Lyft, or Waymo trips, screenshot the trip record in the app before anything changes.
• Don’t give a recorded statement to any insurer before talking to a lawyer — adjusters are trained to minimize claims.
• Your immigration status does not affect your right to compensation. California law protects injured people regardless of status.

Talk to a San Francisco Injury Lawyer — Free Consultation

I’ve represented injured people across the Bay Area since 2009, with a 9-for-9 trial record and more than $25 million recovered for clients. I handle every case personally, in English or Spanish. If you or someone you love was hurt walking, riding Muni or BART, on a scooter, bike, or e-bike, or in a car, Uber, Lyft, or Waymo, call my office at (415) 851-4557 or request a free consultation. You can also learn more about me or review my case results.

¿Usted o un ser querido resultó lesionado al caminar, al viajar en Muni o BART, en scooter, en bicicleta o en un auto, Uber o Lyft? Yo atiendo su caso personalmente y en español, sin intérpretes. Los reclamos contra Muni, BART o la Ciudad tienen un plazo de solo seis meses, así que no espere. Su estatus migratorio no afecta su derecho a recibir una compensación. Llame al (415) 851-4557 para una consulta gratuita o visite mi página de abogado de lesiones personales en San Francisco.

This post is for general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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