From grief to change: Local filmmakers shine national spotlight on Malibu's deadliest road
By Hayley Mattson · Sat Jul 18 2026
Award-winning documentary "21 Miles in Malibu" premieres on PBS SoCal, renewing the fight to make Pacific Coast Highway safer for everyone
For those who live in Malibu, Pacific Coast Highway is far more than one of America's most scenic drives. It is the city's Main Street, its evacuation route during disasters, its connection to neighboring communities — and for far too many local families, the place where lives have been changed forever.
That reality is at the heart of "21 Miles in Malibu," an award-winning documentary created by Malibu residents that recently reached its largest audience yet with its PBS SoCal premiere. More than a film about a dangerous highway, it is a deeply personal story of grief, resilience, and a community that has spent decades fighting for change.
Produced by longtime Malibu resident and Hollywood producer Michel Shane and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Nic Davis, the 56-minute documentary explores the 21-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that runs through Malibu — a roadway known worldwide for its breathtaking ocean views but equally infamous among residents for its tragic history.
For Shane, the documentary is the culmination of a journey that began with unimaginable loss.
On April 3, 2010, his 13-year-old daughter, Emily Rose Shane, was struck and killed while walking along Pacific Coast Highway near Heathercliff Road. The section of roadway where she died has since been renamed Emily Shane Way, but Shane says no memorial can replace a daughter.
"My life is divided into two parts — before Emily and after Emily," Shane has said when discussing the film and his advocacy. "I never wanted to make this documentary, but I knew I had to."
Rather than stepping away from Malibu after the tragedy, Shane became one of the community's most visible and persistent advocates for roadway safety. Through the Emily Shane Foundation, he has spent more than 15 years meeting with elected officials, Caltrans engineers, transportation planners, and community groups, pushing for meaningful safety improvements that he hopes will prevent another family from suffering the loss his family endured.
"This isn't about making money," Shane has said of the documentary. "It's about awareness and creating change."
For many Malibu residents, Shane has become the face of a movement that has steadily grown over the years as fatal crashes continued to claim neighbors, students, cyclists, pedestrians, and visitors.
The documentary tells those stories through the voices of local families whose lives have been permanently altered by crashes on PCH. It contrasts the postcard-perfect beauty of Malibu's coastline with heartbreaking interviews, crash footage, and investigative reporting that asks a simple but urgent question: Why does one of the world's most beautiful highways remain one of its most dangerous?
According to statistics cited in the documentary, 205 people have died on Malibu's 21-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway since 1975, while hundreds more have been seriously injured. The film examines speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, outdated roadway design, limited pedestrian access, and decades of studies that often resulted in slow implementation of safety improvements.
While Shane's story serves as the emotional foundation of the film, "21 Miles in Malibu" also reflects the voices of countless local residents who have spent years calling for change.
Among those featured in the documentary are several well-known members of the Malibu community, each bringing a unique perspective shaped by years of living, working, and advocating in the city. They include internationally recognized automotive journalist and television personality Tim "Fireball" Lawrence, whose expertise in cars and roadways is paired with a deep concern for highway safety; former Malibu Mayor Jefferson "Zuma Jay" Wagner, a lifelong resident and respected community leader who has long championed efforts to protect Malibu and improve public safety; KBUU News Director Hans Laetz, whose decades of reporting have chronicled the many tragedies, traffic issues, and public policy debates surrounding Pacific Coast Highway; former Malibu mayor and community advocate Lou La Monte, who has also been a vocal supporter of efforts to make PCH safer for residents and visitors alike. Together, their voices reinforce the documentary's central message — that this is not simply a story about a roadway, but about a community that has lived with its dangers for generations and continues to fight for meaningful change.
The documentary arrives at a pivotal moment for Malibu.
The deaths of four Pepperdine University students in October 2023 intensified public pressure on state and local agencies to act. Since then, the City of Malibu, Caltrans, the California Office of Traffic Safety, and state lawmakers have accelerated a series of projects designed to reduce speeds and improve safety along the highway.
Those improvements include the completion of Malibu's PCH Signal Synchronization Project, which allows traffic signals to be adjusted in real time to reduce speeding and improve traffic flow. The city is also implementing California's first automated speed safety camera program under Senate Bill 1297, increasing sheriff's and CHP enforcement, and working with Caltrans on millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements.
Caltrans has already invested millions in safety upgrades that include enhanced crosswalk striping, lane separators to discourage illegal passing and dangerous left turns, improved pavement markings, and other traffic-calming measures. Additional projects include raised medians designed to reduce head-on collisions and illegal U-turns.
Another significant project moving forward is the installation of quick-build roundabouts at El Matador State Beach and Encinal Canyon Road. Transportation officials say the roundabouts are expected to slow vehicle speeds, improve pedestrian crossings, increase visibility, and make entering and exiting the highway safer for both residents and visitors.
Looking further ahead, Caltrans is planning broader corridor improvements that include additional sidewalks, upgraded intersections, pedestrian infrastructure and other safety enhancements identified through years of traffic studies.
For Shane, however, the work is far from over.
He has consistently emphasized that no single project will solve the problem overnight. Instead, he believes lasting change requires continued public pressure, community involvement, and the willingness of government agencies to prioritize human lives over convenience.
"We wanted to show that what happened to me could happen to anyone," Shane has said. "Every community has its own dangerous road. This isn't just Malibu's story — it belongs to every city."
That broader message is one reason the film has resonated well beyond Southern California. Since its debut at film festivals, "21 Miles in Malibu" has earned 15 awards recognizing its educational value, public service and emotional storytelling. The recent PBS SoCal broadcast introduced the documentary to thousands of new viewers, expanding its reach far beyond Malibu.
For the Malibu community, however, the documentary's greatest impact may be its ability to ensure that those who have been lost are never forgotten.
Every cross planted along the shoulder of Pacific Coast Highway represents someone's child, parent, spouse, or friend. Every family featured in the film reminds viewers that behind every traffic statistic is a story that changed forever.
What makes "21 Miles in Malibu" especially powerful is that it was created by the very people who have lived this reality. It is not an outsider's account of Malibu's most dangerous road, but a film made by locals, about locals, for the purpose of protecting future generations.
For Shane, that remains Emily's legacy.
And for Malibu, the documentary serves as both a memorial to those who have been lost and a renewed call to finally make its iconic highway as safe as the community has long deserved.