Carnival And Amusement Ride Safety Changes Over The Years

There is nothing a child loves more than going to the carnival or the amusement park and riding rides! You likely have fond memories of your own childhood that involve going to the local fair or park and experiencing thrills on your favorite ride. As an adult, you have probably noticed that your favorite ride seems a little different now, and you are likely correct! Just as time, knowledge, and technology have changed and improved most things in our lives, ride manufacturers have used information gathered over the years to improve their products in order to make the riding experience safer for everyone.

Although safety regulations vary from state to state with no federal regulations, rides are still relatively safe. The odds of obtaining an injury serious enough to result in hospitalization from a ride are 1 in 16 million. Ride manufacturers, parks, and carnivals are constantly evaluating and making changes in order to ensure the safety of guests.

General Safety Changes

Safety changes are often made when there is an accident or when the potential for an accident is seen. These changes may be made by the manufacturer of the ride or the entity operating the ride. Many manufacturers now use engineers to help develop safety standards. 

One common safety change is the addition of secondary, or redundant, restraints on rides. For example, the roller coaster you remember riding may have only had a lap bar. This same roller coaster now likely has a seat belt in addition to a lap bar. 

Height requirements also change occasionally. You may have ridden a ride when you were 5 years old and 42 inches, but your 5-year-old may be too short to ride it because the height requirement is now 48 inches. This change wasn't put there to make kids cry. It was put there because it was determined that in order to ride safely, a guest should be taller.

Many children's rides have implemented changes in the seat belts that are used. Instead of being able to unlatch the belts on their own, a "key" is needed to unlock it. This does slow down the procedure some, but it prevents children from getting out of their seats at unsafe times.

Carnival rides and amusement park rides are generally safe. You are not likely to get seriously injured. Riders who do not follow safety rules are often their own worst enemy, and up to 80% of injuries occur due to their own negligence. Manufacturers and operators take safety very seriously and work to implement changes in order to keep everyone as safe as possible. When you tell your kids stories about the good old days at the carnival when there were fewer rules, remember that you are much safer now than you were then!

For more information, contact a company like BYB Event Services LLC.

Share