Restraint Hazards for Children

Lap bars were invented nearly a century ago to protect adult riders.  They are not necessarily considered restraints, in the sense that most parents understand the term.  Ride manufacturers consider lap bars "something to hold onto", and a psychological incentive to stay seated.  Relying on old-style lap bars to keep children safe can be risky. This type of containment design leaves children too much room to slide around, and the subtle psychological cues might not be interpreted appropriately by childish minds.

Some rides combine metal lap bars with adustable lap belts. Lap belts tend to fit more closely on children and act as a tactile reminder to stay seated. Parents should still ride along with younger children, even if the ride has lap belts. If a child becomes frightened or misses Mom, the buckle on a lap belt can be unlatched quite easily.

Adjustable-position lap bars are designed to fit closely against only the largest passenger. Industry standards allow ride designs that use a single lap bar for multiple riders in a seat. If a small child rides with an adult or significantly larger child, the tiniest rider may not be securely restrained.

This type of containment system is common in family amusement rides, particularly older rides, and parents should be aware of the special hazards it presents to young children. The gap between the lap bar and the child can be big enough to allow the child's body to slide into a dangerous position as the ride dips and corners. Some ride owners have solved the safety problem by adding a lap belt as a secondary restraint, or installing puffy cushions around the lap bar to improve the fit for the smallest rider.

Parents should be aware that children can be hurt even when they're riding with mom or dad.  Unless the operator says otherwise, always load small children to the inside. Hold children securely on rides without close-fitting child restraints.

Many slow-moving kiddie rides, such as trains, use a piece of rope or nylon strap stretched across the seating area or the doorway to keep children seated.  This is another example of a psychological restraint.  Don't count on a visual barrier to protect your child.  Avoid rides without child restraints, or ride next to your child until you're sure he or she understands and will comply with the safety rules. 

The restraint bars in most Ferris wheels are not designed to keep children from standing up or climbing out, yet many wheels have minimum height limits that allow young children to ride alone. A child may be excited about the idea of riding a big Ferris wheel, but then become frightened when the car gets too high in the air or too far away from Mom. The stop-and-go motion of wheels can be confusing for children. Kids may be fine while the ride is moving, but panic when their car stops high in the air to unload patrons in the car at the bottom.

Giant gondola wheels have no restraints at all, no physical barriers to keep children inside, and carry riders as high as 100 feet in the air. Newer models are being sold with enclosed cars, but older models without protection are still in use at carnivals and parks across the country.

Despite the obvious child safety hazards, the manufacturer's recommended height limits on many models allow children as young as 4 years old to ride alone. Operators are not required to post any warnings to parents about the lack of restraints or the deadly fall hazard.

Don't ever assume that amusement rides approved for use by young children are designed with safety equipment that will keep youngsters safely contained. Some rides are designed that way, but many, many rides are not. Check out the restraint system before allowing your child to ride alone. If it doesn't look reliably secure, it probably isn't. Ride with your child or choose another ride.

Amusement ride designers sometimes leave out restraints altogether, even on rides that generate strong centrifugal forces.  For example, the teacup ride looks harmless, and generally is, but children have been thrown out of these. Two patterns emerge:

• Smaller kids riding with older kids can't always safely handle the high-RPMs acheived by their big brothers. It's a bad idea to mix kids of different age groups in a teacup ride. The older kids tend spin them faster, sometimes as a competition, and can spin the ride so fast that a younger child rider might become disoriented and slip into an ejectable position.
• Very young children may decide to stand up while the ride is spinning. If that happens, the child can be knocked over the side or thrown out by the ride's motion. Young children should ride with an adult until you're sure they're old enough to hold on tight and keep themselves properly seated during the entire ride cycle.

Carousels were invented during the Victorian Age for adults to ride on.  There is no secure way to strap preschoolers in.  Carousels often come equipped with belts that can be loosely buckled around a child, but some safety experts distrust the belts.  Children who fall can become entangled in the belts and dragged.  Parents should ride with small children, standing next to the child's horse to keep the child from falling.

Swing rides, like the one pictured at the right, generally don't use close-fitting child restraints.  If a small child becomes frightened or bored, he or she may unclip the chain and slip off while the ride is spinning. Very small children may inadvertently slip into a dangerous position due to the ride's motion and the looseness of the containment system.

If you look closely at the photo, you'll notice an adult riding in the seat behind the smallest child. But because they are in separate vehicles, the man would not be able to prevent the child from slipping out. Parents aren't warned of this beforehand. Be aware.

Water rides, like bumper boats and slow boat rides, are often designed without restraints in order to avoid trapping riders underwater if the ride flips.  Parents should ride with younger children who might fall or climb out of the vehicle during the ride cycle.  Older children should be warned against deliberately knocking other boats so hard that riders might fall into the water and be hurt by the boat motors.

• Lack of Restraint for Young Children
• Safer Ride Restraints
• Saferparks report on falls/ejections