Street Racing: Angelino Heights
Street racing and sideshows (street takeovers, doughnuts, and burnouts) are an increasing problem in Southern California. In 2021 street racing increased by 27%. In the first 6 months of 2022, street racing has increased by an additional 41%! (LAPD) On top of that, LA has seen a 30% jump in serious injuries and a 21% increase in fatalities due to traffic violence in the last year. (LAPD) The primary factor in many of these crashes is speed.
Angelino Heights has become a tourist destination for illegal street racing and dangerous stunts due to landmarks there, made iconic by the Fast and Furious franchise. It’s been a recurring problem for years and is only getting worse.
Request for Help
When residents of Angelino Heights found out that Fast and Furious 10 was going to be filming there, many were outraged and fearful of the potential increase in street racing the film could cause. After contacting the city for help and getting no replies, they reached out to Streets Are For Everyone and our partner, Street Racing Kills, for help.
Video taken by a resident of Angelino Heights in their neighborhood - outside the iconic Bob’s Market.
Community Activism
SAFE and Street Racing Kills worked with residents to organize a high-profile protest to call attention to the problem in their community, to demand change from the city and state, and request NBCUniversal take action to make good on the long-term detrimental effects the filming of Fast and Furious films has brought to the community.
To be clear, this is not about canceling Fast and Furious or preventing studios from filming in Angelino Heights. It’s about justice and change for a residential community plagued by street racing and burnouts on an almost nightly basis. It’s about bringing awareness to a widespread problem across Los Angeles. Finally, it’s about holding NBCUniversal accountable for profiting from the glorification of street racing (5.2 billion since the first film) with no care about the communities that are being impacted.
Our Ask In Regards to Street Racing
Our ask is simple:
In summary:
It’s time for the City of Los Angeles to prioritize the long-term health and safety of the community over the short-term profits of a corporation.
NBCUniversal needs to hold true to its website’s social impact statement and take responsibility for its glorification of illegal street racing, street takeovers, and sideshows that are wreaking havoc and killing people across our city.
We have a group of activists in the Angelino Heights area who are coming together to make a change, not only in Street Racing in their neighborhood but across Los Angeles.