About UsThe objective of Storefront Safety Initiative (SSI) is to provide free resources to those working to increase pedestrian safety where we eat, work, play & shop. We work with industry and government officials to educate and promote building codes. We are doing this by increasing the participation of business owners, property owners, developers, design professionals, and public servants. We believe that implementation of common sense standards of care will help to prevent the substantial injuries and loss of life.
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Who We Are
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SSI was established by Storefront Safety Council (SSC) which works to prevent vehicle-into-building crashes by promoting best practices, educating professionals and stakeholders, documenting effective risk reduction strategies and facilitating local, municipal and state legislation and ordinances. One of the most important efforts undertaken by the SSC is the collecting and reporting of unique data on private property and public access crashes involving commercial buildings, public buildings, public and private pedestrian paths of travel, pedestrian malls, transportation nodes, and many other areas where people eat, work, play and shop.
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Objectives
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The objectives of the SSI are to promote and provide the following resources at no charge:
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Leadership
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Mark Wright
Mark has been researching vehicle-into-building crashes and exploring solutions since 2008 after being hit by a car that crashed through a 7-Eleven storefront. He was an association executive at the time of the accident, became a full-time freelance writer and communications consultant after his recovery, and ironically returned in 2014 to the role he was in at the time of his accident, Executive Director of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT). For more about Mark: www.about.me/markwrightonline 
Victor Manalo
Victor became actively engaged in pedestrian safety in April 2014 after his mother-in-law was killed and his three children injured in a storefront crash in Buena Park, California. As an eleven-year elected member of the Artesia City Council, Victor facilitated the adoption of a pedestrian safety ordinance for new outdoor dining areas within the City of Artesia one year later. His association with and knowledge of local governments has led to an increase in awareness about pedestrian safety issues among city elected officials, city staff, local law enforcement, school boards, architects, engineers, and planners across California. Victor is a retired Associate Professor from the School of Social Work at California State University, Los Angeles. His area of practice and research expertise in civic engagement at the local level resulted in numerous academic publications and professional presentations. For over fifteen years, he taught graduate and undergraduate political practice, community organizing, administration of human service organizations, and research. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Manalo4Artesia/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-manalo-ph-d 
Rob Reiter
Rob has become an expert in vehicle incursion accidents; how frequently they occur, their common causes, and the most frequent design or construction failures which lead to them. In the last decade he has worked closely with people in government, industry, academia, and the legal professions to understand the depth of the problem and the day-to-day cost in damages, lost productivity, injuries and lives. Rob is an expert in preventing accidental and deliberate vehicle intrusions, and is a long-time veteran in the fight against terrorism. He has worked to design, test, manufacture, distribute, and specify thousands of bollards, barriers, and pedestrian safety systems which are now protecting people and property on several continents. Rob was motivated to focus on protecting pedestrians from vehicle incursions by the 2003 Santa Monica Farmer’s Market tragedy in California in which an 86-year-old driver mowed down dozens of people, killing 10 and injuring 63. Learn more about Rob: storefrontcrashexpert.com |
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