''Signal 30'' is a 1959

social guidance film Social guidance films constitute a genre of educational films attempting to guide children and adults to behave in certain ways. Originally produced by the U.S. government as "attitude-building films" during World War II, the genre grew to be a co ...

made by the Highway Safety Foundation in the vicinity of

Mansfield, Ohio Mansfield is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Ohio, United States. Located midway between Columbus and Cleveland via Interstate 71, it is part of Northeast Ohio region in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau. The city ...

. The film, shown widely to high school students across the United States during the 1960s through the 1980s, was produced by Richard Wayman and narrated by Wayne Byers, and takes its name from the radio code used by the

Ohio State Highway Patrol The Ohio State Highway Patrol is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety and has the primary responsibility of traffic enforcement in the state of Ohio. Divisions Operationally, the Patrol is divided into units whose varying tasks com ...

for a fatal traffic accident. Similar to ''

Red Asphalt ''Red Asphalt'' is a series of instructional driver's education videos produced by the California Highway Patrol. The films are known for their graphic depictions of fatal car accidents. Horrendously injured and dismembered bodies are shown in t ...

'', ''Signal 30'' features graphic footage of crashed automobiles and their horrifically injured and dismembered occupants. Despite its gruesome nature, the film later won the National Safety Council Award. It was followed by two sequels, entitled ''Mechanized Death'' and ''Wheels of Tragedy'', and inspired a genre of similarly gory road safety films.

In popular culture

* The film was featured in, and lent its name to, an episode of ''Mad Men''. *An instrumental by

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

, "Sodding About" (an outtake from ''

The Who Sell Out ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'') has commonly been referred to as "Signal 30" , in part due to bassist John Entwistle's

morbid curiosity Curiosity (from Latin '' cūriōsitās'', from ''cūriōsus'' "careful, diligent, curious", akin to ''cura'' "care") is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in humans ...

.''The Who Sell Out'' (liner notes pg. 4). Neill, Andy. The Who.

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

. 2021. *''Signal 30'' was the basis for a song of the same name by British band

Public Service Broadcasting Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...

for their 2013 album ''

Inform-Educate-Entertain ''Inform - Educate - Entertain'' is the first album by alternative British group Public Service Broadcasting. It features samples from the British Film Institute (BFI) and The National Archives (UK) and features themes from the first expedition o ...

References

External links

Signal 30
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

1959 short films 1959 films American short films American social guidance and drug education films Driver's education Films shot in Ohio 1950s American films {{short-documentary-film-stub

In popular culture

See also

References

External links