Text-only version
Saferparks Report on Falls and Ejections - Last update July 2006
Overview
Few accidents in the amusement ride world carry greater potential danger than falls from moving rides. Various factors contribute to falls, but age is, by far, the greatest predictor of risk in this category. Two thirds of falls and ejections involve children under ten.
Data Sources
Saferparks Database - Falls/Ejections Data Set
The graphs and analytical information in this section were drawn from the Saferparks Database, which contains approximately 10,000 amusement ride accident reports provided by state and federal regulatory agencies in response to public records requests.
Note: The Saferparks Database provides some insight into causal factors and common patterns for ride-related accidents, but readers should be aware of its limitations. The records provided to Saferparks do not represent a complete or consistent record of amusement ride accidents and should not be relied upon as a robust statistical source. Accident records were provided by approximately one third of U.S. states; date ranges are limited to a couple years in most cases; reporting criteria and level of detail varies widely. Some records include findings from government investigators, but the vast majority of accident descriptions are provided by the ride owner/operator and may reflect bias.
The Falls/Ejection Data Set includes 188 records in which the narrative description indicated a patron fell or was forcefully ejected from a mechanical amusement ride during the ride cycle. The data set covers 182 separate incidents, fourteen patron deaths, and 192 patron injuries including 2 patrons who were hit by riders who fell from another car. In most cases, the patron separated completely from the vehicle. In some cases, the patron was able to stay within the car or hold on to the outside until the ride could be stopped in a safe position.
- This category includes:
- Cases where a patron loses restraint within a fully-enclosed spinning car and bangs around inside the cage.
- Cases where a child falls completely off the seat onto the floor of a moving carrier (e.g., spinning cups or submarining underneath a fixed lap bar onto the floor).
- This category does not include:
- Falls during load/unload or in the queue.
- Injuries caused by extending hands/arms outside the car unless the action resulted in at least a partial fall or ejection.
Supplemental Source - Accident Reports from the Press
News reports serve as an important additional source of information on falls and ejections from thrill rides because the news media's jurisdiction isn't limited by the scope of regulatory laws or exemptions, press reports are easier to access than government records, and press reports provide more information than is generally included in regulatory logs. A quick search through rideaccidents.com revealed almost three dozen serious falls and ejections involving children that were not part of the Falls/Ejections Data Set drawn from the government records in the Saferparks Database. Those reports were used to initialize a News Reports table that will be used as a supplementary information source within the Saferparks Database.
Saferparks Ride Type Categorization
Saferparks assigns a ride type to accident records based on the name or description of the ride provided in the government record. (Note that categorization occurs on a time-available basis; approximately 25% of the records in the Saferparks Database have not been coded.) Records in the Falls/Ejection Data Set include the following ride types:
- Whirling/Spinning Rides - This category encompasses a wide range of rides, primarily full-sized, in which spinning motion is central to the experience and tends to contribute significantly to the conditions surrounding the fall. Teacups are included (kiddie and full-sized), as was a family dark ride with cars that spin. view records
- Kiddie Rides - This category is an equally diverse grouping in terms of makes/models, but the rides are simpler and slower than whirling/spinning rides, intended for use by very young children, often riding alone. Fall reports in this area almost universally involve injury to a child kindergarten age or younger and a narrative description like "child stood up while ride was moving and fell out". view records
- Coasters - This category includes traditional roller coasters, water coasters, and some "kiddie coasters" if the accident report narrative indicated a forceful ejection. view records
- Carousels - This category includes anything described in the regulatory report as a full-sized carousel or merry-go-round. These carry children and adults, and are large enough that parents can stand next to small children as they ride to help guard against falls. view records
- Water Rides - This category includes log flumes, rafting rides, boat rides, and bumper boats. These rides are generally designed without restraints, as they can create a serious hazard if the watercraft overturns. The lack of restraints can lead to falls, which can become serious when combined with the water, submerged conveyors, and crush potential between the boat and the side of the waterway. view records
- Swing Rides - These rides consist of a group of swing seats suspended from long chains in a circle. As the machinery spins, centrifugal force causes the swings to bell outward. Kiddie versions were grouped with larger versions in this category because the fall pattern is related to the ride action and carrier design rather than the size of the machine. view records
- Sky Rides - These are ski-lift style rides that consist of bench chairs that scoop up 1-3 riders at a load point, carry them into the air across some distance, and lower down near the ground at the end so passengers can disembark. Sky Rides do not have conforming restraints, but some have a metal bar that can be lowered in front of the passengers as a psychological comfort and reminder to stay seated. view records
- Wheels - This category includes Ferris wheels, double Ferris wheels, and giant gondola wheels. view records
- Cars - This category includes rides where patrons get inside their own gas-powered vehicle on a track, and the patron driver controls the accelerator. view records
- Bungees - This category includes amusement devices where patrons are strapped into an enclosure or a harness and propelled on a restricted path via bungee cords. view records
- Other - The Falls/Ejections Data Set included two falls from trains (not noted as kiddie rides), two falls from dark rides, one fall from a freefall ride, and one containment failure on a go-kart. These records did not figure prominently into the patterns for falls/ejections, but are mentioned here for completeness. view records
