Amusement parks aren’t all fun and games

This past weekend a 4 year old boy was found unconscious underneath a fire-truck style carnival ride in Baytown, Texas, prompting state officials to inspect the accident scene to determine the cause of the accident.  The traveling carnival where the accident occurred will remain closed during this time.

This child was lucky, as the accident could have been far more tragic.  Amusement parks in the United States are largely unregulated, and accidents like this – and worse – are not uncommon.  The CPSC estimates that in 2006 alone, 17,767 people were injured on amusement park rides – the highest number of injuries in 9 years.

Right now efforts to regulate amusement park safety are hampered because there is no central agency that coordinates ride safety public policy, and regulation varies from state to state.  In addition, there is no coordinated effort to ensure that problems experienced at one amusement park are prevented from happening at another.

Without effective regulations and without federal authority over amusement park safety, visitors have no idea what to expect when they head out for a day of fun at one of these parks.  Please see our library article, “Is The All-American Amusement Park Safe?” for more information about this subject.