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Red Asphalt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Red Asphalt is a series of instructional driver's education films and videos produced by the California Highway Patrol, known for their graphic depictions of fatal traffic collisions in a shockumentary style.[1] Horrendously injured and dismembered bodies are shown, typically those of negligent drivers. The original film was produced in 1960,[2] and four sequels have been produced over the following decades. Over the years, many have questioned whether the film actually has a long-term impact on students' driving.[3]

Red Asphalt was originally conceived as Californian version of the similar 1959 film Signal 30.[4] According to The Los Angeles Times, "The original [1960] 16-millimeter black-and-white version of Red Asphalt was compiled from newsreel footage. Screened in driver's education classes at a time when violence was rarely depicted in movies and never shown on TV, its graphic nature immediately turned it into a teenage classic."[2] Red Asphalt III, produced in 1989, showed "stomach-churning wreckage scenes and images of mangled bodies, crushed skulls and charred flesh."[5] The fourth version, produced in 1998, was a more "tasteful" affair, focusing on rescuers and family members rather than the original's graphic crash footage.[2]

The series was criticized in 2006 by the Los Angeles Times for its poor acting and being a "joyless ride" of gruesome images and statistics; the paper called Red Asphalt "the Reefer Madness of driving: Forget trying to reason with teenagers, just scare 'em."[4]

Installments

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  • 1960: Red Asphalt
  • 1978: Red Asphalt II
  • 1989: Red Asphalt III
  • 1998: Red Asphalt IV
  • 2006: Red Asphalt V

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Smith, Martin J. (2017). Mr. Las Vegas Has a Bad Knee: and Other Tales of the People, Places, and Peculiarities of the Modern American Southwest. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-4930-2845-0.
  2. ^ a b c Pool, Bob (Jan 22, 1998). "Asleep at the Wheel". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  3. ^ Hubert, Cynthia (July 25, 2003). "Driver's Dread: For 40 years, Red Asphalt has been the gory core of traffic safety classes". Sacramento Bee. pp. E1–E2. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b Martin J. Smith (21 June 2006). "Thrills! Nausea! Bad acting!". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 November 2007. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  5. ^ Martín, Hugo (January 21, 2003). "Gore or Emotion -- What Moves Teen Drivers?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
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