Left-turn collisions remain one of the most common — and most preventable — types of crashes on city streets. The rule isn't complicated: if you're turning left, you yield to oncoming traffic. This is literally day-one driving school material. Yet somehow, navigating an SF intersection during rush hour feels like a game of chicken where nobody read the rules.

As one frustrated SF resident put it: "The people of this city are just too ignorant to figure it out on their own."

Harsh? Maybe. Wrong? Look at the data and try to argue otherwise.

So what's the fix? Some residents are calling for protected left-turn arrows at every major intersection — essentially idiot-proofing the road grid because drivers can't be trusted to follow basic traffic law. And honestly? It's hard to argue against it when the alternative is more T-bone collisions and more pedestrians diving out of crosswalks.

But here's where the fiscal reality check comes in. Retrofitting intersections across the city with new signal infrastructure isn't cheap. We're talking millions in a city that already hemorrhages money on transportation projects that come in late and over budget. The SFMTA has a long and inglorious track record of turning simple upgrades into multi-year, multi-million-dollar odysseys.

The better question is: why aren't we enforcing the laws already on the books? San Francisco has essentially stopped ticketing moving violations. When there are zero consequences for blowing through a left turn, of course people are going to keep doing it. You don't need a $200,000 signal upgrade at every intersection — you need a traffic cop and a citation book.

Protected turn signals at the most dangerous intersections? Sure, prioritize those. But let's not pretend that infrastructure alone solves a behavior problem. Enforcement is cheaper, faster, and actually holds individuals accountable.

Novel concept for San Francisco, we know.