UNITED STATES—Nearly 1 in 4 Fatal Crashes in San Francisco Involve a Fleeing Driver, Tying Oakland for California’s Worst Hit-and-Run Rate
Key Takeaways
- San Francisco ranks #3 nationally with a 23.98% fatal hit-and-run rate, meaning nearly one in four fatal crashes involve a driver who flees the scene, tied with Oakland for the highest rate in California.
- Fatal hit-and-runs in San Francisco tripled from 4 incidents in 2019 to 12 in 2021, a 200% increase, before stabilizing at 9 in 2023, still more than double pre-pandemic levels.
- San Francisco’s hit-and-run rate is nearly 8 times higher than the safest major city, Omaha (3.07%), demonstrating that drastically lower rates are achievable.
When a driver flees the scene of a fatal crash, families are left without answers, and justice becomes elusive. In San Francisco, this devastating scenario unfolds with alarming regularity. Nearly one in every four people killed on the city’s streets dies at the hands of a driver who vanishes into traffic, leaving victims to die alone and loved ones to face both grief and the absence of accountability.
The study, conducted by Anidjar & Levine, analyzed fatal hit-and-run crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) CDAN Query Tool, examining the 50 most populous U.S. cities over five years (2019-2023). San Francisco’s findings reveal a city facing one of the nation’s most severe hit-and-run problems relative to its size.
San Francisco’s Fatal Hit-and-Run Crisis: Five-Year Overview
San Francisco Fatal Hit-and-Run Statistics (2019-2023)
| Metric | Value |
| National Rank | #3 (Tied with Oakland at 23.98%) |
| Fatal Hit-and-Run Rate | 23.98% |
| Average Annual Fatal Crashes | 34 |
| 5-Year Total Fatal Hit-and-Runs | 41 |
| Average Annual Fatal Hit-and-Runs | 8 |
San Francisco’s 23.98% fatal hit-and-run rate means nearly one in four traffic deaths involves a fleeing driver, with 8 fatal hit-and-runs occurring annually on average. Despite its reputation as a progressive leader in urban planning and Vision Zero initiatives, San Francisco matches the nation’s worst hit-and-run rates, ranking alongside Oakland and just behind Chicago.
Top 10 U.S. Cities with the Highest Fatal Hit-and-Run Rates (2019-2023)
| Rank | City | State | % Fatal Hit-and-Run Rate | Avg. Annual Fatal Hit-and-Runs | 5-Year Total |
| 1 | Chicago | Illinois | 24.65% | 42 | 212 |
| 2 | Oakland | California | 23.98% | 8 | 41 |
| 3 | San Francisco | California | 23.98% | 8 | 41 |
| 4 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 23.60% | 16 | 80 |
| 5 | Baltimore | Maryland | 23.36% | 10 | 50 |
| 6 | Washington | District of Columbia | 23.31% | 8 | 38 |
| 7 | Detroit | Michigan | 22.78% | 30 | 149 |
| 8 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 22.61% | 28 | 142 |
| 9 | Los Angeles | California | 22.56% | 68 | 342 |
| 10 | Seattle | Washington | 21.18% | 7 | 36 |
San Francisco sits just 0.67 percentage points behind first-place Chicago, while recording identical statistics to neighboring Oakland in both rate (23.98%) and five-year total (41). California claims three of the top 10 spots, with San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles all exceeding 22% hit-and-run rates.
Expert Commentary
Looking at the study findings, a spokesperson from Anidjar & Levine commented:
| “San Francisco’s position near the top of this national ranking is deeply troubling, particularly for a city that has championed Vision Zero and pedestrian safety initiatives. When nearly one in four fatal crashes involves a fleeing driver, it reflects a serious gap between policy aspirations and street-level accountability. The fact that cities like Omaha maintain rates as low as 3% proves that this crisis is solvable, and San Francisco’s families deserve to see these numbers drop dramatically.” |
San Francisco Annual Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes (2019-2023)
| Year | Fatal Hit-and-Runs | Year-Over-Year Change | Change from 2019 Baseline |
| 2019 | 4 | — | Baseline |
| 2020 | 6 | +50.0% | +50.0% |
| 2021 | 12 | +100.0% | +200.0% |
| 2022 | 10 | -16.7% | +150.0% |
| 2023 | 9 | -10.0% | +125.0% |
San Francisco experienced a steady climb in fatal hit-and-runs, with incidents tripling from 4 in 2019 to a peak of 12 in 2021. Despite modest declines since then, the 2023 figure of 9 fatal hit-and-runs remains 125% above pre-pandemic levels, indicating the crisis has settled into a significantly worse baseline.
San Francisco vs. California Peers: A Statewide Comparison
California Cities Ranked by Fatal Hit-and-Run Rate (2019-2023)
| State Rank | City | Hit-and-Run Rate | 5-Year Total | National Rank |
| 1 | Oakland | 23.98% | 41 | #2 |
| 2 | San Francisco | 23.98% | 41 | #3 |
| 3 | Los Angeles | 22.56% | 342 | #9 |
| 4 | San Jose | 20.77% | 70 | #11 |
| 5 | Long Beach | 20.71% | 41 | #12 |
| 6 | Sacramento | 20.00% | 58 | #13 |
| 7 | Fresno | 19.54% | 60 | #15 |
| 8 | Bakersfield | 17.36% | 46 | #21 |
| 9 | San Diego | 13.51% | 67 | #36 |
San Francisco and Oakland share the dubious distinction of leading California in fatal hit-and-run rates, with seven of the state’s nine major cities ranking in the national top 15. San Francisco’s rate is 10.47 percentage points higher than San Diego, the state’s best performer, highlighting vast disparities even within the same state.
Major California Cities by Fatal Hit-and-Run Volume (2019-2023)
| City | 5-Year Total Fatal Hit-and-Runs | Hit-and-Run Rate | Avg. Annual Fatal Crashes |
| Los Angeles | 342 | 22.56% | 303 |
| San Jose | 70 | 20.77% | 67 |
| San Diego | 67 | 13.51% | 99 |
| Fresno | 60 | 19.54% | 61 |
| Sacramento | 58 | 20.00% | 58 |
| Bakersfield | 46 | 17.36% | 53 |
| Oakland | 41 | 23.98% | 34 |
| San Francisco | 41 | 23.98% | 34 |
| Long Beach | 41 | 20.71% | 40 |
San Francisco’s 41 fatal hit-and-runs matches Oakland and Long Beach, despite having fewer total fatal crashes than Long Beach (34 vs. 40 annually). California’s nine major cities combined for 766 fatal hit-and-runs over five years, with San Francisco contributing 5.4% of the statewide toll.
San Francisco Compared to the 5 Safest Major U.S. Cities (2019-2023)
| City | State | Hit-and-Run Rate | 5-Year Total | How San Francisco Compares (Rate) |
| San Francisco | California | 23.98% | 41 | Baseline |
| Omaha | Nebraska | 3.07% | 5 | 7.8x higher |
| Virginia Beach | Virginia | 3.47% | 5 | 6.9x higher |
| Mesa | Arizona | 5.00% | 13 | 4.8x higher |
| Colorado Springs | Colorado | 5.13% | 12 | 4.7x higher |
| Tampa | Florida | 7.79% | 24 | 3.1x higher |
San Francisco’s hit-and-run rate is nearly 8 times higher than Omaha’s and almost 7 times higher than Virginia Beach’s, proving that single-digit rates are achievable in major American cities. Over five years, San Francisco recorded 41 fatal hit-and-runs compared to just 5 in Omaha and 5 in Virginia Beach combined.
Methodology
This study analyzed fatal hit-and-run crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Crash Report Sampling System via the CDAN Query Tool, examining the 50 most populous U.S. cities over a five-year period from 2019 to 2023. Cities were ranked by the percentage of total fatal crashes that involved a driver fleeing the scene, a rate-based approach that allows meaningful comparison across cities of varying population sizes and traffic volumes. The analysis captured total fatal motor vehicle crashes, fatal hit-and-run crashes (annual, five-year total, and five-year average), and percentage rates for each city.
Data Sources
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) CDAN Query Tool: https://cdan.dot.gov/query
Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G0pnKWji82bROACg1zmF2qioUALwO6Zk1IQbNhmY8Os/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Study by: https://www.anidjarlevine.com/
About Anidjar & Levine
Anidjar & Levine is an experienced personal injury law firm dedicated to personal injury cases, including serious injuries and wrongful death, and committed to protecting clients’ rights and maximizing claim value.
