A man died earlier this week after being thrown from his seat on Goliath, the tallest roller coaster in Georgia, at Six Flags Over Georgia just outside Atlanta. Now, the tragedy has led some experts and lawmakers to warn that amusement park safety in the United States has major blind spots.
There is no single federal agency in charge of enforcing safety standards for rides like Goliath, and critics say that patchwork system makes it difficult to get a clear picture of how often riders are hurt. The amusement park industry, meanwhile, insists that riding roller coasters has never been safer.
Death on Goliath
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, fell to his death on Monday while riding Goliath, which is the largest roller coaster and the centerpiece of the Six Flags park.
“We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones. We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected,” Six Flags wrote in a statement via ABC News.
The Cobb County Police Department and Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner are both investigating the incident. The state office, which handles ride inspections in Georgia, noted that Goliath passed its most recent inspection on March 16.
Cobb County deputy police chief Damon Ballard said at a news conference on Friday that the state’s findings will determine whether criminal charges are filed.
Following the death, Six Flags temporarily closed Goliath as well as several similar coasters across the country “out of an abundance of caution.” Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss firm that designed the ride, said it was “deeply saddened by this tragic accident” and is investigating.
‘Gaps in Amusement Park Safety’
The tragedy now has experts sounding the alarm about some safety and regulatory gaps that parks like Six Flags face.
Amusement park oversight is left up to the states, with regulations varying from one to the next. To make matters worse, ride injuries aren’t always reported.
“Because this is not nationally regulated, there is no easy way for people outside of the industry, and the parks themselves, to actually get a clear picture of what’s happening,” Tracy Mehan of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital said, via The New York Times.
“The most recent study that we did was actually published in 2013, if that tells you anything,” she added.
That study found that more than 4,000 children per year, on average, were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for amusement park ride injuries between 1990 and 2010.
Representative André Carson, a Democrat from Indiana, has been pushing a bill that would give the Consumer Product Safety Commission oversight of the industry.
“We do know that there are gaps in amusement park safety policies — I’ve been raising the alarm on these safety concerns for years,” Carson said.
Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey has also tried to pass similar legislation multiple times, but those bills have stalled in Congress.
Industry Pushes Back
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions has opposed federal oversight, arguing that state regulators are better positioned to monitor safety.
“We believe the most effective path forward is building on the state programs already in place: strengthening them, ensuring regulators have adequate resources and promoting consistent adoption of proven global safety standards,” the group said.
According to the IAAPA, the chance of serious injury on a ride at a fixed-location U.S. amusement park is one in 15.5 million.
Martin Lewison, a roller coaster expert and business professor at Farmingdale State College, said that riding coasters is not inherently dangerous.
“In fact, it’s probably safer today than it’s ever been,” he said.
Lewison explained that Goliath uses lap restraints with an electronic system that is supposed to keep the train from moving unless every rider is secured. It’s still unclear whether that system failed on Monday.
Six Flags is also dealing with lawsuits over its X2 coaster in Southern California, which has been closed since July after riders claimed they suffered catastrophic brain injuries.
Needless to say, the investigation into what went wrong on Goliath will be closely watched by riders and lawmakers alike.
