More Injuries On Amusement Park Rides
26 Jul 2007
More Injuries On Amusement Park Rides
WASHINGTON -- According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) emergency room injuries from amusement park rides rose 87 percent over five years.
Injuries at amusement parks that were serious enough to warrant emergency treatment rose from an estimated 2,400 in 1994 to 4,500 in 1998, Ann Brown, the commission's chairwoman, wrote in a recent letter to Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.
In August alone there were four deaths from separate incidents in amusement park rides.
These injuries and deaths may be the result of lax inspection and regulation of the amusement part industry. They certainly represent a heavy toll for victims who seek the excitement and recreation of the numerous amusement parks throughout the nation. In states like Florida amusement parks attract thousands of patrons daily with most taking at least one of the highly publicized thrill rides.
The CPSC regulates so-called "mobile" rides that are hauled from carnival to carnival, but not rides at amusement parks and other permanent sites. To regulate rides at permanent sides, the commission would need at least a $5 million increase in its budget and additional staff, Brown said.
Regulation of amusement parks is now left to state and local authorities. Brown said 14 states plus the District of Columbia do not have inspection programs.
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions has said that some states with no regulations also have no -- or very few -- parks.
Total estimated injuries from rides at all sites -- permanent, mobile and unknown -- rose, from 7,400 to 9,200 over the five-year period, said Brown. Injuries on rides at mobile sites increased just slightly, from 2,000 to 2,100 over the period.
The commission monitors amusement-ride related injuries through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which covers a sample of hospital emergency rooms. Fatality data is obtained through incident reports, newspaper clippings and death certificates
