Clip from "Highways of Agony" 1969 Highway Safety Foundation/ Name that Siren

This is not the TV series, "Emergency!" These are real people who are hurt. They were filmed for the driver education movie, "Highways of Agony". You not only get a glimpse of the gory results of accidents; you see emergency care before the paramedics came into vogue (1969). Miami rolled out the first paramedics that year while Los Angeles County (basis of "Emergency!), along with Portland, began providing street medicine. One question; what model siren is on that ambulance- even if the sounds may be dubbed?

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• emergency
• driver
• education
• EMS
• old
• death
• accident
• driver safety
• ambulance
• paramedics
• johnny gage
• Ohio
• state police
• siren

[idigghx]

Yeah, people can't act that well. It's real. Given the establishment of EMS, in 1966, and this taking place in 1969.. Major fail on patient care.

[wkat950]

@idigghx it took a little time. there were tons of stories and articles on improving emergency care back in the Sixties but they didn't affect undertakers (who ran many ambulances) until the early Seventies. That's when states had to fix their ambulance services or lose Federal funds. Thankfully a few cities took advantage of innovations and research into patient care early on. The EMT curriculum premiered in 1971.

[idigghx]

@wkat950 Aware. I'm a historian, I have all the texts, all the reports, and most of the big name equipment for ambulances from the 40's through the 70's. Just don't have any ambulances. I could probably have this scene reenacted with properly dressed folks.

[wkat950]

@idigghx Good man! Just put in a good word for Deke Farrington :). BTW get hold of an old ambulance and fix it up. It'll become a part of your life in a big way, like restoring any old vehicle. Some podunk towns have old '73-77 modulars around rusting away in back lots. Or if nothing else write a book . This history will help younger EMS people become more motivated.

[wkat950]

This isn't fake. The producers at the Highway Safety Foundation may have dubbed in sounds for some of the film when it was produced in 1968-9. But they had crews who would precede the slow ambulance response and shoot footage of the dead and injured. There is a video about the production of these driver safety films.

[steff2001]

They moved the guy with the back pain wrong. Early movies but they could have paralyzed him.

[sabreyow]

lovely..my 1969 ford fairlane is my daily driver

[XxBakerxX72]

So glad cars have been made safer! Sure these things can still happen but they are less likely to be as significant.

Still, it shows what retarded driving can do.

[indyfan22k]

it was very easy to get badly hurt or die in the cars of that ERA !

[SydbarF]

thanks for posting this ...i saw all these back in high school...made me not want to drive

[XbloodycorpseX]

i laughed so hard i peed my pants.... but red asphalt 3 is wayyyyy funnier teh commentary for that shit is fucking hilarous......................­. 1:35 he wants to get off lmfao plz post more i enjoy these videos

[Soopahkoopah101]

I think I'll just take the bus...

[parkman35]

There wasn't much you could do back in those days but load and run....fast!

[TheEmperorofthevoid]

Here's what I never understood: that lady is apparently choking on her blood, nobody bothering to help, and mister cameraman just wants to film instead of assist. Ridiculous.