2021 was an excellent year for SAFE! As the world re-opened, our Finish The Ride/Run events returned, legislative actions could resume, and the awareness of the increase in traffic violence in the past two years could be spread even farther through our community events. 

SAFE did not slow down this year, and our team is very proud of what we produced in 2021! Through our advocacy efforts, awareness events, media, legislative efforts, and other activities, SAFE reached over 16 million nationwide with the message of making safer streets! Our 2021 Year in Review highlights just some of our best accomplishments.

SAFE’s “Faith for Safer Streets” Chapter Unites in South L.A. and Spreads the Message of the Need for Safer Streets

In 2020, we talked about our SAFE South L.A. Chapter starting 2020 off with a bang. Well, 2021 was no different. A new chapter of SAFE formed in South L.A. 

Earlier this year, SAFE was approached by Pastor Patricia Strong-Fargas, the Senior Pastor for Mt. Salem New Wave Christian Fellowship Church in South L.A., requesting help to address this problem of increasing traffic violence in South L.A. In a part of the city where religion plays a more prominent role than in other parts of Los Angeles, she realized the power that churches hold to help convey the message of safer streets. 

Pastor Fargas' idea was to unite the faith community to start addressing the traffic violence in South L.A. and needed SAFE's help to carry it forward. SAFE was immediately on board and pursued funding through the Southern California Association of Governments to help develop a network of faith-based opinion leaders in South L.A. to address this problem. 

The word about Faith for Safer Streets spread like wildfire throughout the South L.A. community. Two virtual  "Welcome Events" were attended by leaders of the South L.A. faith community and representatives from the L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell's office, LAPD's Deputy Chief Regina Scott, the retired Mayor of Culver City, and a host of other VIPs. 

But the group was not finished. 

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2021: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! 

All across the nation, on the weekend of November 21st, families, victims, and advocates gather to honor and remember those lost and injured to traffic violence. This day is called World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. 

Live Events Returned with Finish The Ride and Finish The Run – Halloween!

One of the hardest things about 2020 was canceling our Finish The Ride/Finish The Run events. We were not only delighted to return to live events in 2021 but decided to bring our Santa Clarita event back on Sunday, 31 October 2021, to Heritage Park with a twist: a costume ride/run!

Legislation for Safer Streets – Lowering Speed Limits, Speed Safety Cameras, Street Racing Penalties, and more. 

In 2021, SAFE supported more individual bills for safer streets than in any year in the past. Much of the legislative work we did centered around making it easier to manage speeding and protecting cyclists and pedestrians, the most vulnerable road users. 

It's no secret that speed kills. In fact, it is the number #1 killer of school children aged 4-14 in Los Angeles. In 2018, the National Traffic Safety Administration identified speeding as a contributing factor in 26% of traffic fatalities. In Los Angeles County, speeding was the primary factor in 34% of serious injuries and fatalities, more than any other factor. 

School zones are particularly vulnerable areas for traffic injuries and fatalities. In 2019, 134 people were killed by drivers while walking in Los Angeles alone. This is why we got involved in sponsoring Senate Bill 735 -- Speed Safety Cameras legislation during the past year. Studies have found that two-thirds of drivers exceed the posted speed limit in a school zone during the 30 minutes before and after school. This has got to change.

As California's children return to school under social distancing and mask requirements, they are being dropped off farther from school and are walking and riding their bikes more than ever. 

SAFE also has lent support to other important street safety legislation in the past year:

• Assembly Bill 3 – Exhibition of speed on a Highway: Street Racing

• Assembly Bill 43 – Traffic Safety, Controlling Vehicular Speed

• Assembly Bill 1238 – Freedom to Walk Act/Decriminalizing Jaywalking

• Assembly Bill 122 – Bicycle Safety Stop Bill

• Assembly Bill 582 – Hit and Run Penalties Bill

• Assembly Bill 550 – Speed Safety System Pilot Program

Streets, Art, SAFE Film Competition: Return for the 2021 - 2022 Season

With the world re-opening, the 6th Annual Streets, Art, SAFE High School Film Competition continues to move forward! Last year, the difficulties of COVID-19 and virtual learning interfered, and we got creative in keeping this unique competition going on. This year will be the best year yet!

We already have several schools and groups registered, and they have started the creative process of producing their PSAs. Winning schools and students will receive grants for their art departments and special awards in our ceremony in May/June of 2022. 

To check out the details of the competition, to register, or view previous year’s PSAs, please visit www.streetsareforeveryone.org/streets-art-safe.

Additions to our Team!

Reaching Millions in 2021!

There's so much more SAFE accomplished in 2021, such as continuing the expansion of our SAFE Support, growing our staff, increasing our legislative work, etc. Still, I would like to close with a snapshot of the numbers, the tens of millions of people that we reached in our efforts to save lives and make streets safer. 

Statistics for the Year 2021

Total People Reached: 16,170,294

Total Social Media Reached: 1,006,626 (SAFE and FTR social media)

Total Website Reached: 136,910 (SAFE and FTR websites)

Total Media Reached: 14,317,187 (through TV, radio, newspapers, and blogs)

Total Number of Media Pieces: 23

Total Reached at Events: 11,201 (FTR events, webinars, press conferences, school education events, etc.)

Total Number of Events: 9

We continue to be proud of SAFE and what it has accomplished in the last year, and we are thankful for each of you who helped make all of this happen: our volunteers, our staff, our wonderful donors, supporters, and participants. Thanks to you, we can continue our work and save lives.  

Dayna Galbreath

Senior Director of Public Affairs