Showmen's League Of America

Showmen's League of America - Carnival Facts

Historically, rides have ranked near the very bottom of the list of injury-causing products and equipment compiled by the CPSC.

Riding an amusement ride is one of the safest recreational activities. The National Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 270 million people visit American amusement parks each year.

An average of 7,000 of these people are treated in emergency rooms for injuries they sustained in amusement ride accidents. This means that only (.0000259%) of park visitors are injured in ride accidents. Considering the thousands of amusement rides that occupy American theme parks and the number of cycles each one completes without incident, this number is truly phenomenal. More amazing is the fact that the number of deaths that have occurred over the last twenty-five years is less than half of this number because the leading cause of accidents is rider misconduct, these numbers could be reduced even further if people's awareness of ride safety was heightened. Here are some guidelines that will help to ensure a safe day on the midway...

READ WARNING SIGNS

All major rides have some kind of age, weight, or height restriction. Upon entering the park or boarding a ride, you will see restriction and/or warning signs... DO NOT IGNORE THEM! Usually, children under a certain height or age cannot ride without a parent. In some cases, people with certain medical conditions are warned not to ride. In any case, be aware of restrictions and heed warnings.

BE ALERT OF OTHER RIDERS

If you see other riders conducting themselves unruly, alert the ride operator. If the operator fails to address the situation, contact a park supervisor. This is a serious issue!

DO NOT FORCE CHILDREN TO RIDE RIDES

Before allowing a child to board a ride, parents should use their own judgment as to whether or not the ride is appropriate for him. If a child is afraid, do not force him to ride. Never assume that your child will enjoy a ride because you do, or that he won't be afraid because you will be riding with him. Also, if you know that your child is incapable of handling a ride, do not let him board. Always check with the operator when you are unsure as to whether or not your child could handle a particular ride. While most rides can be stopped in mid-operation, others cannot, and if a child becomes too scared, he may attempt to exit the ride while it is moving. Most importantly, explain to your child the importance of following instructions. In anticipating a ride to begin, most children will not pay attention to the ride operator's instructions. Therefore, observe the ride yourself before your child boards, then explain to him how the ride works and what he should and shouldn't do.

ADHERE TO MIDWAY RULES

Perhaps most importantly, make sure that you yourself act appropriately. Always use seat belts, lap bars or chains, and shoulder harnesses when they are provided. Eluding safety harnesses and standing up on rides are the leading causes of injuries and deaths. Do not act in any way that would cause the ride to deviate from its normal course of operation. Never rock cars, especially on rides like Ferris Wheels, Log Flumes, and Sky rides. Always keep your hands, legs, and arms inside your car. Never attempt to board a
ride when it is moving or to exit a ride before it comes to a complete stop.

The commission no longer ranks the products on which it reports in terms of safety. However, in 1978 -the last year it issued a ranking - more people were injured on exercise equipment (13,820), organized soccer (11,046), basketball pick-up games (11,013) and horseback riding (6,101) than were injured on or in amusement rides of all types. In fact, amusement rides ranked 164th out of the total 175 categories of products reported by the CPSC that year in terms of the number of product-related injuries. Nearly as many, 5571, were sent to hospitals as a result of playing billiards! 80% of all carnival ride related injuries are caused by "horseplay" and failure to follow the safety instructions given by the ride operator.

Most carnivals remain family owned businesses with second and even third generation ownership.