{"id":52,"date":"2020-01-20T18:14:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T18:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs2019.buprojects.uk\/kirapartridge\/?p=52"},"modified":"2020-01-23T16:44:40","modified_gmt":"2020-01-23T16:44:40","slug":"when-roller-coasters-go-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs2019.buprojects.uk\/kirapartridge\/2020\/01\/20\/when-roller-coasters-go-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"Safety first, get thrill seeking second!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amusement parks love to use the phrase \u2018face your fears\u2019, giving the participant the thrill of \u2018will they make, will they not!?\u2019. However, sometimes the fear of not making it can become a reality. As much as riding roller coasters can be exhilarating fun, there is also an element of risk. Furthermore, In today\u2019s blog I will be discussing some of the real-life disasters taken place at various amusement parks and recommend safety precautions to always consider.<\/span><\/h2>\n

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The first example took place in the Alton Towers Resort on 2nd June, 2015. Disaster struck after an operating carriage crashed into an empty \u2018test\u2019 carriage on the Smiler ride. The ride\u2019s crash tragically resulted in two young girls having their legs amputated along with two young men who also suffered severe injuries. The tragic crash was identified as being a mistake – down to human<\/a> error. A statement from a spokeswoman of Alton Towers stated: \u201cA ride shutdown message was misunderstood by staff at the ride\u201d, ultimately resulting in staff mistakenly overriding the control system. However, this was not the first time this coaster had malfunctioned. Since its opening in May 2013 there have been a chain of continuous events including technical<\/a> issues, and ride shutdowns which perhaps in hindsight should have been taken more seriously. The Smiler\u2019s crash cost the attraction\u2019s owner, Merlin Entertainments millions in repayment to the victims, prosecution fines, as well as a loss of income revenue, and a reduction in staff. This kind of mistake can leave a permanent scar on a theme park\u2019s reputation, which Alton Towers has steadily tried to rebuild itself from, and make the memories fade.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ironically, the company that manufactured the Smiler also built the roller coaster carriages for Six<\/a> Flag\u2019s Park, Texas, USA – in 2013, where a woman fell to her death on the New Texas Giant due to weak restraints. The event was truly horrific as witnesses heard the mother\u2019s son beg for the ride to stop and to help their mother. Witnesses also spoke out, saying they heard the mother express to the workers she felt unsafe on the ride as she was strapped in.\u00a0 She felt her restraints had not been tightened enough, which later tragically turned out to be true. As seen twice now, it seems the fault has been in human error rather than technical failure, questioning whether theme park employees are sufficiently trained to high enough industry standards. Anyhow, the tragic death lead to the family of the mother filing a law suit against Six Flags. In which Six Flags turned around and placed the blame on manufacturer ‘Gerstlauer’ which also denied liability in the case. Conclusively, Six Flags, Gerstlauer and the family of the woman came to an agreement, settling for a one million pound compensation.\u00a0 Just like that, another theme park impacted by poor reputation due to neglecting safety regulations.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Arguably, theme park accidents are extremely rare. A lot of the time, statements made about the unsafety of theme parks do not match the facts. Wherein the mass media have easy access to digital media, have made a habit of publicising and exaggerating the fear<\/a> factor of doing something which is seemingly safe, to immediately life threatening. This can make the reader feel more vulnerable but compelled to read the article, which is why the media so heavily broadcast theme park tragedy’s, down to it’s extreme rarity. However, if you consider how many theme parks and coasters operate daily,\u00a0 in comparison with how many accidents there actually are, statistically it is more unsafe driving to the theme park than actually being there!<\/span><\/p>\n

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When enjoying the theme park experience – people need to be mindful of their own personal health. So If you are a theme park fanatic, and are pregnant, possess any heart conditions or other health issues, for your own safety should avoid riding any coasters in the meanwhile! It is always important before entering a ride to read over the safety regulations, although regular thrill-seekers may have heard this a million times. It is good to stay attentive and keep an eye out, even for others around you. Better to leave the theme park at the end of the day on a happy note rather than with an easily avoided injury!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thanks for tuning In today fellow riders and until the next roller-coaster blog, keep on riding!<\/p>\n