Roller Coaster Safety
Point to Ponder: You are more likely to get in an accident on the way to an amusement park than on a ride.
Some Statistics:
On October 24, 2013, five people were injured at the North Carolina State Fair. The accident took place while the riders were waiting to exit the ride called Vortex. ABC News reported after this incident: “The association that represents carnival operators told ABC News that Americans took more than 1 billion rides a year and that each year 13,000 people were injured and visited an emergency room.” According to NBC News, no one does not know the exact number of deaths that occur due to theme park attractions. However NBC News does state: “About 4,400 children a year are hurt on such rides; that’s up to 20 kids a day in the peak season between May and September.” (Read More)
After viewing these statistics revisit the point to ponder.
If this statement is true how does it relate to the statistics we just encountered?
Some Statistics:
On October 24, 2013, five people were injured at the North Carolina State Fair. The accident took place while the riders were waiting to exit the ride called Vortex. ABC News reported after this incident: “The association that represents carnival operators told ABC News that Americans took more than 1 billion rides a year and that each year 13,000 people were injured and visited an emergency room.” According to NBC News, no one does not know the exact number of deaths that occur due to theme park attractions. However NBC News does state: “About 4,400 children a year are hurt on such rides; that’s up to 20 kids a day in the peak season between May and September.” (Read More)
After viewing these statistics revisit the point to ponder.
If this statement is true how does it relate to the statistics we just encountered?
Universal Orlando's twin dragon coasters will never 'duel' again
October 19, 2011|By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
For more than a decade, the signature thrill of Universal Orlando's "Dragon Challenge" has been the ride's three near-collisions, in which the attraction's two intertwined roller coasters, speeding along their tracks at up to 60 mph, pass within 18 inches of each other.
Riders will never experience that again.
Universal Orlando said this week it has decided to permanently end the practice of launching the two coasters simultaneously. The resort now bills the attraction as a "high-speed chase between two coasters."
That decision follows an internal investigation into two summer accidents in which riders were apparently struck by loose objects while aboard the attraction. One was gruesome: A 52-year-old Puerto Ricoman suffered a lacerated right eye and ultimately had to have the eyeball removed, according to his lawyer.
"We believe this is the best path forward for our guests and for the attraction," Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said of the decision to permanently alter Dragon Challenge.
Precisely what happened in the two incidents remains a mystery. Universal will not discuss the findings of its review, though the resort's statements in the aftermath of the two incidents — in which it reminded guests of its long-standing policy to secure all loose items before boarding the coasters — suggest that they may have been caused by items falling out of guests' hands or pockets as the coasters raced along their tracks.
That's what Clay Mitchell said he thinks happened with Carlos Montalvo, the man from Puerto Rico who lost his right eye after riding Dragon Challenge on July 31. Mitchell, an Orlando personal-injury lawyer, said Montalvo recently received a prosthetic-eye implant.
"He's still incurring medical bills," Mitchell said.
A similar incident occurred less than two weeks later; Jon Wilson, a 19-year-old from Ohio, said he was hit by something while riding the attraction. Wilson could not be reached for comment, but he told a local television station in August that he was struck on his foot, arm and face.
What makes the incidents especially striking is that they are the first such publicly reported accidents aboard Dragon Challenge, which has been operating since Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park opened in 1999.
The ride was initially known as "Dueling Dragons" but was given a new, Harry Potter-themed overlay in 2010 when it was incorporated into the park's new Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Records show that Universal has reported five injuries involving the attraction during the past decade, including reports of chest pain, back pain and groin pain; vomiting; shortness of breath; and numbness in one arm. But none of the incidents involved a rider being struck by a loose object.
Some industry critics contend that the records supplied by Universal and Florida's other big theme parks — which must report only injuries that result in an immediate hospital stay of at least 24 hours for purposes other than medical observation — don't capture all of the injuries that occur in the parks, which draw tens of thousands of visitors each day.
"We are aware of several other incidents where people have been struck by objects" while riding Dragon Challenge, said Mitchell, Montalvo's lawyer, though he would not discuss specifics. He said he was unaware of how seriously those riders were hurt.
Follow this link for more information about the Dragon Challenge Coasters
October 19, 2011|By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
For more than a decade, the signature thrill of Universal Orlando's "Dragon Challenge" has been the ride's three near-collisions, in which the attraction's two intertwined roller coasters, speeding along their tracks at up to 60 mph, pass within 18 inches of each other.
Riders will never experience that again.
Universal Orlando said this week it has decided to permanently end the practice of launching the two coasters simultaneously. The resort now bills the attraction as a "high-speed chase between two coasters."
That decision follows an internal investigation into two summer accidents in which riders were apparently struck by loose objects while aboard the attraction. One was gruesome: A 52-year-old Puerto Ricoman suffered a lacerated right eye and ultimately had to have the eyeball removed, according to his lawyer.
"We believe this is the best path forward for our guests and for the attraction," Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said of the decision to permanently alter Dragon Challenge.
Precisely what happened in the two incidents remains a mystery. Universal will not discuss the findings of its review, though the resort's statements in the aftermath of the two incidents — in which it reminded guests of its long-standing policy to secure all loose items before boarding the coasters — suggest that they may have been caused by items falling out of guests' hands or pockets as the coasters raced along their tracks.
That's what Clay Mitchell said he thinks happened with Carlos Montalvo, the man from Puerto Rico who lost his right eye after riding Dragon Challenge on July 31. Mitchell, an Orlando personal-injury lawyer, said Montalvo recently received a prosthetic-eye implant.
"He's still incurring medical bills," Mitchell said.
A similar incident occurred less than two weeks later; Jon Wilson, a 19-year-old from Ohio, said he was hit by something while riding the attraction. Wilson could not be reached for comment, but he told a local television station in August that he was struck on his foot, arm and face.
What makes the incidents especially striking is that they are the first such publicly reported accidents aboard Dragon Challenge, which has been operating since Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park opened in 1999.
The ride was initially known as "Dueling Dragons" but was given a new, Harry Potter-themed overlay in 2010 when it was incorporated into the park's new Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Records show that Universal has reported five injuries involving the attraction during the past decade, including reports of chest pain, back pain and groin pain; vomiting; shortness of breath; and numbness in one arm. But none of the incidents involved a rider being struck by a loose object.
Some industry critics contend that the records supplied by Universal and Florida's other big theme parks — which must report only injuries that result in an immediate hospital stay of at least 24 hours for purposes other than medical observation — don't capture all of the injuries that occur in the parks, which draw tens of thousands of visitors each day.
"We are aware of several other incidents where people have been struck by objects" while riding Dragon Challenge, said Mitchell, Montalvo's lawyer, though he would not discuss specifics. He said he was unaware of how seriously those riders were hurt.
Follow this link for more information about the Dragon Challenge Coasters
Notes/Facts:
Initial Inspections
1. As roller coasters near completion, engineers begin testing to make sure everything functions properly and the ride is safe.
a) The very first test riders are weighted bags or dummies.
b) Some dummies are equipped with devices to measure the forces exerted on the coaster and the rider.
2. Once the engineers have determined that the ride is safe for humans, they ride it themselves to work out all the kinks.
Ongoing Maintenance
1. Full-time engineers who work at theme parks inspect all rides on a daily basis.
2. Preventative maintenance can detect problems early and prevent accidents.
3. A ride must be run without passengers several times throughout the day while maintenance crew watch and listen for
anything unusual.
Passenger Safety
1. Amusement parks have precautions posted at the entrance to rides to keep passengers safe.
a) Obey age, height, weight, and health restrictions.
b) Keep your head, hands, arms, legs, and feet inside the ride at all times.
2. Most roller coaster accidents involve passengers not following the rules for their own safety.
1. As roller coasters near completion, engineers begin testing to make sure everything functions properly and the ride is safe.
a) The very first test riders are weighted bags or dummies.
b) Some dummies are equipped with devices to measure the forces exerted on the coaster and the rider.
2. Once the engineers have determined that the ride is safe for humans, they ride it themselves to work out all the kinks.
Ongoing Maintenance
1. Full-time engineers who work at theme parks inspect all rides on a daily basis.
2. Preventative maintenance can detect problems early and prevent accidents.
3. A ride must be run without passengers several times throughout the day while maintenance crew watch and listen for
anything unusual.
Passenger Safety
1. Amusement parks have precautions posted at the entrance to rides to keep passengers safe.
a) Obey age, height, weight, and health restrictions.
b) Keep your head, hands, arms, legs, and feet inside the ride at all times.
2. Most roller coaster accidents involve passengers not following the rules for their own safety.
Video:
The following video shows the process of safety testing on a new coaster!
Links to explore:
Explore the following roller coaster safety tips:
http://parade.condenast.com/55888/hannah_dreyfus/10-roller-coaster-safety-tips-that-could-save-your-life/
Roller Coaster Safety and Regulations:
http://www.iaapa.org/safety-and-advocacy/safety/amusement-ride-safety/regulations-standards
http://parade.condenast.com/55888/hannah_dreyfus/10-roller-coaster-safety-tips-that-could-save-your-life/
Roller Coaster Safety and Regulations:
http://www.iaapa.org/safety-and-advocacy/safety/amusement-ride-safety/regulations-standards