According to data provided by the National Safety Council (NSC), injuries on permanent amusement park rides have decreased from 2,486 estimated injuries in 2001 to 1,415 estimated injuries in 2011.
A big reason the number of injuries decreased was that the number of amusement parks operating between those periods went from 459 facilities in the U.S. to just 383.
What Types of Rides Caused Injuries?
In 2011, there were an estimated 1,415 injuries. Below is a breakdown of the type of ride these injuries occurred on and their proportion to the total:
- Children’s Rides:
- 175 injuries
- 12.3 percent of injuries
- Family and Adult Rides:
- 836 injuries
- 59 percent of injuries
- Roller Coasters:
- 405 injuries
- 28.6 percent of injuries
The NSC says that of the 1,415 injuries, 61 were serious. About 96 percent of the injuries were categorized as “other.”
Amusement parks have an obligation to protect their patrons from injury. If they fail to provide a reasonably safe environment, they can be responsible for a person getting hurt. This means that the parks must make sure their rides are safe for riders at all times.
If you have been injured on a ride due to the negligence of an amusement park, consider talking to a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case options.
Did You Know? According to the National Safety Council (NSC), nearly 29 percent of all amusement park injuries occurred on roller coasters.