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Our local coffee house tacks up the daily horoscope column from the newspaper and I've taken to reading mine while I wait. Today's advice inspired this piece: "There's nothing more real to you than your consistent, long-held dream. It's gloriously fixed in your mind even when everything else in your world is changing." Sweet inspiration indeed for a Saturday morning at the latte store.
Several years ago, my good friend's 10-year-old daughter gave a school report on Saferparks that described me as "the Martin Luther King of amusement rides". The ridiculous juxtaposition of Dr. King and Tilt-a-Whirls was goofy enough to tickle my funny bone and sweet enough to touch my heart. Like Dr. King, I have a dream, albeit far more modest in scope and stature:
- I dream of safety records comprehensively collected, independently analyzed, and freely shared for the benefit of amusement ride patrons as well as industry.
- I dream of a system that blends the best of consensus standards, regulatory law, and market forces to balance consumer protection and consumer choice in ways that safeguard the thrills and the patrons.
- I dream of the day when parents are educated enough to know which thrill ride designs protect young children, and wise enough to ignore low height limits and other product marketing techniques designed to entice them toward riskier amusements.
- I dream of a tracking system that helps the medical community stay abreast of health-related incidents, so doctors can advise patients about potentially dangerous interactions between certain physical/mental conditions and certain types of thrill rides.
That is the consistent dream gloriously fixed (a less-kind horoscope might say "obsessively lodged") in my mind. Progress has been slow but steady. Some of this year's highlights include:
- The ASTM F-24 committee formed a task group to study the unique issues related to safe containment of children under eight, and determine whether additional requirements should be added to the industry standard for new ride designs (F2291). I was encouraged by the frank give-and-take of ideas during the initial task group meeting in October.
- CARES, a networking organization of regulatory officials from the United States and Canada, is working to centralize safety-related information such as minimum height limits, NDT requirements, and manufacturer's bulletins. On November 15, Sellner Manufacturing, the company that makes Tilt-a-Whirls, became the first ride manufacturer to offer its full support to the CARES bulletin project. Sellner plans to send a complete set of safety bulletins before the end of the year.
- Fun Spot Action Park in Orlando sent me a delightfully flattering email in October asking permission to develop patron signage based on Saferparks' Five Steps to Safer Thrills . "We recently became aware of your website and the wise counsel included on it. I especially enjoyed your signage. We have 4 go-kart tracks and 13 rides at our park, and we want to have more kid-friendly and informative signage so that parents can have information to make decisions on what is best for their children. Your signage is some of the best we have seen."
- In October, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health released its report on the California Screamin' collision at Disney's California Adventure. The accident was caused by several pneumatic quick exhaust valve failures in one of the brake zones, and the state ordered Disney to replace faulty valves - not just on that ride, but on all rides operated in all its parks around the world. Disney willingly complied with the state's order, despite the inherent jurisdictional overreach, and went a step beyond, voluntarily posting a Service Bulletin describing the failure on the NAARSO website to ensure that the information was quickly disseminated throughout the industry. Quite a striking precedent and a truly inspiring example of safety through effective teamwork and efficient communication.
- Two separate groups of medical researchers published results of roller coaster-related studies late this year. Both studies shine a bit more light on possible hazardous interactions between intense thrill rides and certain medical conditions. (See the Saferparks home page for more information.)
- Some of the state regulatory agencies are carefully documenting child safety-related accidents, an invaluable aid in understanding the multiple factors that contribute to these tragedies. This is difficult work, but necessary. Special thanks to the New York Department of Labor for its work with the Rye Playland accidents.
The members of the ASTM F-24 committee and CARES volunteer their time and resources, as do I. None of the people and organizations I mentioned are getting rich by studying amusement ride accidents and publicizing the results; quite the opposite, I'm sure. This work is an act of faith. The ride safety world is peopled with everyday heroes, a point I've made before. It bears repeating, though. In the spirit of the season, Saferparks would like to honor all those who continue to invest their time, talents, and faith in the dream of safer thrills for all.
"Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it's done, and done right." -- Walt Disney
