 |
More Than 10,000 Injured on Amusement Rides Last Year in U.S.
Roller coasters and other amusement rides spun, dropped and catapulted more than 10,000 thrill-seekers into emergency rooms with injuries last year, the U.S. government said Thursday.
An annual report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that 6,590 people were hurt on amusement park rides last year, down from 7,260 in 1999.
Add mobile carnival rides and a total of 10,580 people were injured, 200 more than in 1999.
Ann Brown, chairwoman of the safety commission, said that even though the number of injuries at amusement parks fell in 2000, the overall number of injuries has increased significantly over the last five years.
"Amusement park rides are fun, fast and thrilling. They are supposed to create the illusion of danger, without putting people at risk," Brown said. "But the increased number of deaths and injuries tell a different story."
The safety commission now regulates mobile rides that travel from site to site with carnivals and seasonal fairs. But the regulation of roller coasters and other rides at amusement parks is left to states, more than a dozen of which lack inspection programs.
Brown said she supports proposed legislation that would give her agency jurisdiction over amusement park rides, a program that would cost at least $5 million.
Two people died last year in incidents related to amusement rides, the safety commission said. That's down from the six people who died in such incidents in 1999.
"Amusement parks have a long history of providing safe, family entertainment," said Bret Lovejoy, president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. "There is virtually no safer form of recreation, and the 2000 figures further confirm that."
Lovejoy said more than 315 million people visited U.S. amusement parks last year, accounting for 3.2 billion rides. According to the association, the likelihood of being seriously injured on a ride is about 1 in 22 million and the chance of being fatally injured is 1 in 1.5 billion.
In This Section
|