Tips for Staying Safe at Amusement Parks
Avoid accidents and injury by heeding the advice of experts.
June 22, 2007 — -- For thrill-seekers and roller coaster enthusiasts, the onset of summer means more frequent trips to amusement parks.
According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, attendance at the estimated 600 theme parks across the United States is steadily climbing. In 2006, 335 million people visited theme parks worldwide.
While rides and attractions can be a lot fun, accidents do happen, such as the recent injury of a 13-year-old girl who had both feet severed after a cord snapped on a Superman ride at a Kentucky Six Flags.
ABC News asked Kathy Fackler, president of Saferparks, a nonprofit group that works to prevent amusement park ride injuries, and Tonya Chin Ross, senior public policy associate at Safekids Worldwide, a international network of organizations that works to prevent accidental injuries in children, for tips on staying safe on your next ride.
1. Make certain the ride's operator is paying attention.
If it looks like the person responsible for putting the ride into action isn't alert or seems distracted, skip to the next attraction. You want to be sure that the operator is aware of both the passengers and the mechanics of the ride.
2. Use the safety equipment.
The safety belts, lap bars and railings are there for a reason, so use them. Keep a close watch on younger children who may be able to wiggle out of the constraint; many of the belts and bars are devised to prevent passengers from standing up, not flying out.
3. Listen to the instructions.
Ross advises parents to make sure their children are alert enough to go on the ride. If a child is too tired to listen to instructions from the operator or to sit up straight in the seat, their safety could be jeopardized.
4. Read the rules.
Many rides display a rules sign with height requirements for the ride. Fackler adds that these restrictions aren't steadfast rules, and parents must evaluate whether the ride is suitable for their children.
5. Do some research.
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