Can a Documentary Save Lives?
“I’ve tried the traditional routes to address the safety issues on the highway, and nothing has happened. Until a person experiences the excruciating pain of losing someone they love more than life, most think as I did – ‘It won’t happen to us,’ ” Shane says. “By sharing the story of this highway and the lives it has taken through the most powerful medium I know, we can begin to address every ‘Blood Alley’ in the country.”
PCH is a documentary film. It explores why so many people are killed in Malibu on Pacific Coast Highway. It addresses why this horrific reality isn’t rectified. The film exposes obsolete road infrastructure and insufficient traffic regulation. It examines Malibu’s nuances- an internationally recognized hub for surfing and cycling- and its particular safety hazards.
Drunk drivers, careless pedestrians, speeding cars, and the lack of a substantial embankment along the highway create a lethal framework. It’s anarchy. A precarious context, insurance companies guarantee Malibu residents will be involved in an accident on the coastal highway.
The film will highlight the family and friends of those who’ve lost their lives on PCH- including Emily Shane’s. PCH will also share perspectives from sheriff’s deputies, tow truck drivers, cabbies, and others who’ve experienced first-hand carnage on the road. It will include interviews with celebrities who have been involved in accidents on the highway.
However, PCH is not a litany of sorrow. It will not only identify problems but will explore substantive measures to make the road safer. Engineers, traffic experts, and law enforcement officials- including L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca and Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol Mr. Joseph A. Farrow- will provide solutions.
