Welcome to SafeStep: Your Personal Safety Companion for Urban Walking Routes

SafeStep is a safety-focused navigation app that provides users with safer walking routes in urban areas. By leveraging crowd-sourced data, real-time updates, and safety flags, SafeStep empowers users to make informed decisions about their routes, ensuring peace of mind while walking.

Motivation

Recent studies reveal a growing concern for personal safety during routine activities like pedestrian walking:

• 40% of Americans are afraid to walk alone at night within a mile of their home
• 80% of women in the UK adjust their routines for safety reasons
• 66% of adults report avoiding activities such as walking or visiting parks due to safety fears

These statistics demonstrate a clear need for a tool that prioritizes personal safety in urban environments. SafeStep addresses this gap by equipping users with reliable safety data, route options, and real-time insights to navigate confidently.

Key Features

1. Safety & Crime Flags:

   • Routes are flagged with real-time data, including:
     • Crime Levels
     • Lighting Conditions
     • Activity Levels
     • Construction Updates
   • Each route is assigned a unique safety rating to help users select the best option

2. Crowdsourced Data Reporting:

   • Users can report issues like poor lighting, high activity, or suspicious activity directly through the app, contributing to an ever-growing safety database

3. Live Location Sharing:

   • Share your route and location with friends or family to enhance safety while traveling

4. Turn-by-Turn Navigation:

   • Includes both voice-guided and text-based navigation for a seamless and accessible user experience

5. Favorites & Emergency Features:

   • Save frequently used routes in the Favorites screen
   • Access a quick alert button in the Profile screen to contact friends for minor emergencies

Technologies Used

• Frontend: React Native for cross-platform user experience
• Backend: Node.js with Firebase for secure data storage and real-time updates
• Mapping API: Google Maps API for advanced navigation and route rendering
• Location & Voice APIs: Expo Speech for accurate turn-by-turn voice guidance

Demo Video and Pitch

Click here to view our pitch and demo