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{ Accident Prevention Brainstorming} Brainstorming for Accident Prevention Safety and roller coasters have always been a touchy subject. iF takes a leap into this issue of safety with a review of some recorded roller coaster accidents. How could future accidents be prevented? Read the examples and contribute your ideas. Roller Coaster Accidents On June 12, 1980, a ten-year-old girl with a heart condition died soon after riding a roller coaster in Orlando Florida. There were signs up warning that the ride could be dangerous to those with heart conditions, but the girl could not understand English, the only language on the signs. Class Discussion Question: In what ways could communication be improved to prevent similar accidents? On July 9, 1980, a 26-year-old man was killed at an amusement park in Missouri. The operator thought that the victim's car was empty and sent the train to the service area by switching tracks. The low clearing of the area left the man with his head stuck between the back of his seat and a wooden beam from overhead. Class Discussion Question: How could problems such as this be prevented by developing special safety equipment? On August 23, 1988, a 26-year-old maintenance worker was killed at Astroland Amusement Park in Coney Island, New York. He fell from the Cyclone coaster when not using the safety bar. He was also seen standing up on the coaster, but was the only rider at the time as he rode during his lunch break. He died instantly when he fell from the car 30 feet and hit a crossbeam. The ride was inspected and opened the next day after it was pronounced safe. Class Discussion Question: What kind of safety equipment would you develop that might have prevented this tragedy? On April 30, 1989, a six-year-old boy was killed in Farmington, Utah. The boy tried to leave the car he was in after it stopped past the normal boarding area. In order to solve this problem, the operator sent the train around again. As the ride restarted, the boy fell out of the car to the ground four feet beneath the track. He crawled back up through the track and got hit by the train as it came around again. The operator could do nothing to stop the train because it was driven by gravity. Class Discussion Question: What modifications to the ride would prevent this accident? On April 18, 1998, 23 passengers on the Demon coaster at Six Flags Great America were left stranded upside down for almost three hours in a vertical loop. They were rescued by firefighters with a cherry picker. A few were treated for minor injuries at a hospital and then released. Class Discussion Question: How could the time that the riders were stranded upside down been made less? On August 5, 1998, three people were injured when they rode the Jack Rabbit at Clementon Lake Amusement Park in Clementon, New Jersey. The train derailed and crashed into the park's management office. There were many reports as to faulty breaks at the turn where the train derailed, however, the operator allowed the train to go around the track twice in a row. Apparently, the 28-year-old worker should have manually slowed the train at the turn because the brakes were disengaged the second time. The man was fired, arrested, and fined. The three who were injured were treated and released. Employees had complained to management about the ride's brakes, but the management said that the operators were at fault. Many employees of the park quit after the park's reaction to the accident. The ride was inspected and pronounced safe. The coaster is also the oldest coaster still operating in the United States. Class Discussion Question: How could this accident been prevented by park management? How could coasters be designed so that they could not derail? On May 16, 1999, a 37-year-old man was injured when he rode Superman Ride of Steel at Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien Center. He was tossed from his seat as the ride was finishing. Park officials say that the safety restraint equipment was working properly, but the fact that the man weighed over 300 pounds may have caused the accident. Class Discussion Question: How could this problem have been prevented or made safer for larger riders? On May 29, 1999, 26 people were stranded once again on the Vampire coaster at Six Flags Kentucky kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky. A cherry picker was used to get the riders down, but there were no injuries. The train stalled in the same place that it did the month before on April 7, 1999. It passed two safety inspections after the accident the month earlier. Class Discussion Question: How could a safety test be designed so that these types of accidents would not occur? Follow-Up to Roller Coaster Accidents Now that you have read some accidents, we suggest that you go to the "design your own ride" portion of the site. As you design the ride, remember to keep safety in mind. When you post or share your ideas, you may want to specifically point out the safety features you have added to your park and/or ride. Reference: Costanza, Jared. "Roller Coaster Accidents." 1999 <http://www. rollercoaster.com/roller_coaster_accidents/> (June 2000)