Fall and Ejections - Part 5

Saferparks Report on Falls and Ejections - Last update July 2006

Table of Contents:
  Overview
  Data Sources
  Summary of Findings
  Whirling/Spinning Rides
  Kiddie Rides
  Coasters
  Other Ride Types
  Industry Standards for Restraints

---

Kiddie Rides

The "kiddie ride" category encompasses a wide range of rides that are 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

Kiddie rides account for 25% of fall and ejection accident records. This accident category primarily affects children age 5 and under, and peaks for 2-year-olds.

• 71% of the kiddie ride accidents in the Falls/Ejection Data Set resulted in head injuries, ranging from minor to major, and including one fatality.
• 23% of the records reported that the child was hit by, run over by, and/or dragged by the ride machinery after falling out.

Restraints and Hazard Exposure on Kiddie Rides

Few regulatory reports on kiddie ride accidents provide information on the type of restraint, if any, provided on the ride, and whether the child 1) unlatched the restraint, 2) fell out of a latched restraint, or 3) fell off while riding unrestrained. Restraints used on kiddie rides vary widely, as shown in the photos below. Hazard exposure on kiddie rides can include:

• Falls from heights
• Moving parts of large (impact) and small (entrapment) size
• Accelerations that may not look significant to adults, but can challenge a toddler's or preschooler's ability to stay safely positioned within a moving vehicle.

• 8% of the records cited equipment or operator failure as the cause.
• 23% of all kiddie ride accident reports provided to Saferparks involved falls during the ride cycle.

Falls and Ejections - Part 6: Coasters