Learn

Short, plain explainers about why streets are dangerous and what fixes them. Every fact links to its source.

• Speed and survival

  A few miles per hour decides whether a person hit by a car walks away, ends up in the hospital, or dies.

• Road design, stroads and road diets

  Wide, straight lanes invite speed. Fewer or narrower lanes can make a road calmer and safer without new laws.

• Sun glare

  When the low sun lines up with a road, drivers can be blinded for seconds. Research ties glare to more crashes, including with people walking and biking.

• Hills, light, weather and the places around a street

  Hills, darkness, rain and fog, driveways, and who lives nearby can make a street harder or easier to use safely. They are context, not proof of what caused a crash.

• Bike lanes, Class I to IV

  California sorts bikeways into four classes. They are not equal. Separation from fast traffic matters most.

• Crossings and daylighting

  Most people killed while walking are hit away from intersections, in the dark. Proven, low-cost fixes exist for every kind of crossing.

• Who owns the road?

  City, county or Caltrans. The owner is who can fix it. Here is how to tell in the Sacramento region.

• How safety projects get funded

  Most street safety projects are paid for with grants. Knowing the grant calendar tells you when your letter can make the biggest difference.

• Vision Zero and the Safe System Approach

  Vision Zero says no one should die or be seriously hurt on our streets, and that road design should forgive human mistakes.

• How to write a letter officials act on

  Short, specific, backed by data, with one clear ask and a personal reason. Here is a template.