Minimum Height Limits

There are virtually no regulatory rules governing minimum height limits and child safety equipment for U.S. amusement rides.  Height limits are set by the ride manufacturers, according to any criteria they choose.  The industry standards for amusement rides and devices do not set objective criteria for determining age-appropriate minimum height limits.  Existing regulatory laws do not require that safety officials review or approve of minimum height limits. 

In many cases, manufacturer's minimum height limits allow children still in diapers to ride alone in open vehicles without child restraints.  Increasing market pressure has pushed height limits dangerously low, even on some adult rides that expose unrestrained riders to deadly fall heights or exert strong forces on the rider. Examples:

• 9-year-old fatally ejected from Sizzler
• 6-year-old fatally injured in 90-foot fall from Giant Wheel
• 7-year-old fatally ejected from Scrambler
• In 2001, a 6-year-old boy was seriously injured at a carnival in southern California when he was forcefully ejected from a Wipeout ride.  Nine months later, a 4-year-old girl was critically injured at a theme park in northern California when she was forcefully ejected from a Wipeout ride.  Both children came out from underneath a fixed restraint bar that did not fit closely against them.  Both children met the 42" height requirement set by the manufacturer.  One was riding with a parent; one was riding alone. The reports on both accidents stated that the design of the ride's restraint system was inadequate to safely hold the smallest riders inside the cars during negative-g portions of the ride. 

Some ride operators waive the minimum height requirement for small children as long as the undersized rider is accompanied by a rider who meets the manufacturer's recommended minimum height limit.  For a ride with a 42" height limit, like the Zamperla Kite Flyer, that means children as young as three could act as supervising companions for younger riders.

This practice allows the ride owner to sell more tickets, but it also allows toddlers and preschoolers on board thrill rides that weren't designed for them. The ride owner trusts that parents will assess the safety of the riding situation and stop kids from riding if they're too young to safely handle the machine. Parents trust that the operator's rules already have sufficent margin of safety built-in. This circle of misplaced trust can result in serious accidents to children.

The hazard escalates when operators lower the posted height limit even further than is allowed by the manufacturer. For example, in 2002, a two-year-old boy fell out of a Kite Flyer ride in California. State investigators found that the operator was using a height limit of 36" for unaccompanied riders rather than 42" recommended by the manufacturer. Operators were allowing children smaller than 36" to ride if they were accompanied by a child 36 " or taller. The child who fell out was 39" tall and almost 3 years old. He was riding with another 2-year-old child who was 36" tall. The Kite Flyer spins riders in an oscilating motion as they lie flat on their stomachs, soaring like Superman to a height 12 feet above the ground (see photo). The child fell out because he let go of the handles in the front of the carrier and the restraint system was too loosely-fitted to hold his small body inside.

Given the riding position on the Kite Flyer, most adults would have a difficult time grabbing a small child who's slipping out the back end of the carrier. It's ridiculous to imagine that another child could be trusted with such an important and physically demanding responsibility.

Under self-regulation, manufacturers can set height limits and accompanied rider rules at any level that makes the rides profitable, even if the chosen limits expose the smallest passengers to increased risk of serious injury.  If the manufacturer and the ride owner believe that the increased cost of accident claims will be offset by a larger increase in ticket sales, then lowering the height limit makes good financial sense.  (Ford described this business strategy in congressional hearings on the Pinto gas tank defect several decades ago.)  Ride manufacturers and ride owners can amortize the cost of accidents over millions of riders every year.  The injured children and their families are not so lucky. 

• Accident investigation reports provided by state agencies show that children who just barely meet the minimum height limits set by manufacturers run a much higher risk of ejection than larger riders.  
• Rides with low height limits and restraint systems that do not fit closely against young children increase the risk of serious injury in this age group. 
• Two-thirds of accidents involving patron falls/ejections mid-cycle involve children nine years old or younger. See the Saferparks report on falls and ejections for details.

Amusement parks and carnivals are the only places in America where parents are sold the idea of heavy machinery as safe toddler entertainment.  Children who've not yet learned to read are exposed to heights, speeds, forces, and machinery that they never encounter anywhere in their daily lives.  One wrong move can put an inadequately-restrained child in serious danger. 

Because kiddie rides and milder family rides don't usually generate significant acceleration forces, ride manufacturers tend not to provide restrictive restraints.  This is a dangerous practice with toddlers and preschoolers, though, as it leaves them vulnerable to fall hazards and machinery hazards.  Despite the known risks, kiddie ride manufacturers often choose not to set height restrictions, or set them so low that 1-year-olds are allowed to ride alone. Parents must learn to see past the salesmanship in order to make safe choices for their children. The table translates minimum height to minimum age, based on current pediatric growth charts. Click on the Sample Ride links to see the machines approved for use by children who've not yet graduated from kindergarten.