How Titanic changed radio watch and distress signals

Post-Titanic rules moved radio from a commercial addition toward a continuous safety system. Passenger ships were expected to maintain a twenty-four-hour watch, backup power, and contact with nearby vessels and shore stations so distress traffic was not missed. SOLAS also established that any red rocket at sea must be treated as a request for help, regardless of its firing interval. This addressed the ambiguity that arose when Californian's crew interpreted rockets from an unknown liner as company identification rather than an emergency. Successive SOLAS conventions developed these rules further, and modern ships now integrate communications into the bridge command space.