Experts: Roller Coasters Getting Bigger, Faster and More Dangerous

HULIQ: The sharp turns, ups and downs, and high speeds of today's roller coasters bring a lot of thrills, but they also killed a 46-year-old man who fell from a roller coaster and later died in Houston at the end of March, while a 3-year-old boy was killed in a Chicago suburb after falling out of a roller coaster April 2; thus, the roller coaster season is underway with expected injuries in the thousands nationwide during the spring and summer amusement park seasons, say experts.

Roller coaster injuries and even deaths are not uncommon, states the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Moreover, amusement park rides may be the cause of unexplained head, neck and back injuries seen in accident and emergency department, say doctors. At the same time, it’s up to individual states and various U.S. government agencies to inspect and regulate “amusement rides.”

"The likelihood of being injured on a ride, injured enough to require a visit to an overnight hospital stay, is one in 10 million," said Beth Robertson,  spokeswoman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.. "The chances of being fatally injured are one in 790 million."

While those are pretty good odds if you’re a roller coaster fan thinking of hitting the parks this spring and summer season, there’s some other factors to consider, says Bill Avery, president of Orlando-based Avery Safety Consulting.

“For one thing, people might feel banged-up after a ride, but shrug it off during their visits. They wake up the next morning, and they can't move, and they go to the ER. And they find out they have a broken neck," explained Avery, a former amusement park ride industry safety expert who often serves as an expert witness in lawsuits involving amusement park injuries.

Moreover, ongoing roller coaster investigations by the British government have examined “the root causes of injuries and deaths on amusement rides in England.” Those studies found incidents occurred when G-force levels were within established limits of human tolerability.

"The G-forces were still important, but considered of secondary importance due to modifying factors related to the ergonomics of the passenger containment system as a whole," the British study reported.

“We’re concerned roller coaster G-forces will reach and exceed the body’s threshold of tolerance, giving rise to a wave of amusement park injuries each year,” stated Dr. Robert Braksiek, who also noted the British study of roller coaster incidents.

The Busch Gardens Tampa Bay web site notes how the park “will introduce a new breed of speed that invites guests to celebrate the spirit of the cheetah. This new generation of thrills emerges from the crossroads where up-close animal encounters and awe inspiring rides come together.”

The Busch Gardens web site also notes that “the centerpiece of the new attraction is Cheetah Hunt, a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) Launch Coaster that uses the force of repelling magnets to launch riders from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds - not once, but three times.”

Moreover, the popular web site ultimaterollercoaster.com points to those “must ride” attractions at amusement and theme parks that offer what kids want, pointing to roller coasters that are “big and fast, intimidating and scary.”

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