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{ Safety Guide } How Safe Am I? As you're zooming down the track on a roller coaster or riding high in the sky on a ferris wheel, have you ever wondered, "How safe is this ride?" According to Annenberg/CPB Exhibits [http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/ridesafety.html], you're safer at an amusement park than you are when you ride a horse, ride a bike, or play a sport. Only one in 250 million riders ever die on amusement park rides. Who's Backing That Up? The National Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more that 270 million people visit amusement parks each year, and only 7,000 people out of those 270 million go to the emergency rooms for injuries from the rides. Even though that sounds like a lot, it's really only 0.00259 percent! Sign reads: "Large Guest, Test Seat, Seat belt must fasten to ride" Six Flags St. Louis provides a mock safety seat to test the rider's eligibility. Conflicting Statistics According to USA Today, the death rate on amusement park rides has gone up! Accidents on rides have hit an 11-year high, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The reason for these statistics is that there are no solid laws for ride inspection. Although amusement parks claim to be safe, they never release any statistics to show that they are. In fact, no one really keeps track of injuries or deaths. They are estimated by parks, boards, and commissions. How Do the Parks Measure Up? To see which states in the United States require inspections and require that injuries be reported, [www.saferparks.org]. One boy had his foot partially torn off on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Coaster at Disneyland in 1998. This is not the only park with accidents. This is just one incident of many from parks all over the world. Accidents Happen...But Why? Annenburg/CPB Exhibits [http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/ridesafety.html] says that the main reason people get hurt on amusement park rides is preventable. Things like poor maintenance and disregard of safety rules by both riders and workers are the main reasons. For every ride, there is a set of safety rules, which require that the rider be a certain height, weight, or be in good physical condition. Related Topics: How can I be safe? Citation: Fackler, Kathy. "Are Rides Safe?" 2000 http://www.saferparks.org/are_rides_safe.htm (June 2000) "Ride Safety." 1998 http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics/ ridesafety.html (June 2000)