The International Conference on Safety of Life at Sea, 1914, was held in response to the Titanic Disaster. The treaty dealt with several elements which contributed to the sinking of the RMS Titanic, such as life-saving appliances, radio communications, safety of navigation and ice patrol. The treaty required there to be enough lifeboats for everyone, for ships to respond to distress calls, for there to be lifeboat drills conducted and several other issues addressing the sinking. Thirteen countries attended the convention, including the United States and Great Britain. The treaty was signed in London on January 20, 1914, but did not go into effect until July 1915. Before the sinking, people thought there was no need for maritime laws, especially because the Titanic was "unsinkable". Why waste deck space on lifeboats when there was no need? The sinking of the RMS Titanic proved ships needed to be ready for disaster and need to know what to do to save lives. Had the Titanic not sunk, people would have continued on viewing ships as unsinkable. This was the first SOLAS convention ever. There have been several SOLAS treaties since 1914, and the IMO continues to keep ships safe today.
Shown is a group of Titanic survivors on board the Carpathia after being rescued. Had the Californian received and responded to the Titanic's messages, they could have rescued survivors a lot more quickly and saved several more lives. The SOLAS treaty of 1914 required ships to respond to all distress codes sent by ships.
Click here to view "After the Sinking" page.