Is that roller coaster safe? I stood in line for an hour to experience it - my heart racing, my hands sweating and white-knuckled. But in all honest, when I excitedly walk through the amusement park, I can't help but worry that one of the rides may break down with me on it.
According to USA Today newspaper, "There have been some terrifying accounts recently, especially in Knott's Dairy Farm in Anaheim, California, where the occupants of the ride were left hanging upside down for hours," (Baker, Section A-12, December 30, 2012).
"From rollers coasters to bumper cars and ferris wheels, amusement park rides attract massive crowds, with an estimated annual attendance of nearly 300 million at the more than 420 fixed-site theme parks in the United States, according to 2008 data from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions website"(U. S. Rides, Article On Line www.IAAPA.org).
According to Beth Robertson with the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, "Last year, there were one and a half billion rides. But there were less than 2,400 injuries that required an overnight hospital stay","(Ride Safety In The United States, Article On Line www.IAAPA.org ).
"The likelihood of being seriously injured requiring overnight hospitalization on a permanently located amusement park ride in the United States is one in nine million, said IAAPA representative Colleen Mangone. You are much more likely to be killed by a bee sting, a snake bite, fireworks, tornadoes, electrocution and even dogs, than to be seriously hurt in one of these parks,"(Injury Statistics, Article On Line, www.IAAPA.org).
According to the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, "In 1981, congress specifically exempted permanent amusement parks from Consumer Product Safety Commission oversight. Amusement ride safety, in the United States is regulated through a patchwork of voluntary standards and federal, state and local laws.