In San Francisco Green Does Not Mean “Go”

San Francisco’s problem with red light runners is well documented. As a result early green traffic signals present a dangerous senario for the cautious driver. In San Francisco a green traffic signal does not mean “Go”; a green signal means look left, then right for the red light runner, then proceed with Caution.

San Francisco is a City of intersections. There are many one way streets where drivers time the lights and travel through intersections at high speeds. When a driver is timing the lights they are more prone to attempt to travel through an intersection just as their light turns red. Streets like Franklin, Geary, Lombard, Bush, Pine, Fell and Oak are examples. How can the defensive driver protect themselves from carless drivers who run early red lights?

As a personal injury lawyer for the past fifteen years I have handled a dozen or so red light / green light car accident cases. The most common time to run a red light is when the traffic signal has just turned red. The red light runner is rushing to make it through and thinks, “well the light just turned red I can make it.” Disaster strikes when the unsuspecting driver, whose light just turned green, accelerates quickly into the intersection, without first checking to make sure the intersection is clear. The defensive driver is most vulnerable to a high speed T-Bone collision, when they are first in line at the intersection and first into the intersection when their signal light turns green. Hence, the early green light is the most dangerous light in the City. When presented with a new green light caution is in order.

The learning point for the defensive driver is this: An early green traffic signal does not mean “Go” in San Francisco. In San Francisco a new green light means, look left then right for the red light runner and then proceed with caution.