In my more than six decades in the amusement and theme park industry, roller coasters have evolved from relatively modest wooden structures into extraordinary engineering achievements. And as the founder and CEO of the independent consulting firm International Theme Park Services Inc., there are some that would have been unimaginable when I began my career: some coasters traveling at more than 150 miles per hour and climbing to heights of up to 600 feet.

I have constantly been asked: How safe are these rides? That question takes on added significance whenever someone is hurt or killed. Sadly, such a tragedy happened Monday at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta.

The Cobb County Police Department says 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, who was riding the park’s Goliath roller coaster that afternoon, was “ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction.”

Four others were injured in the accident.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation released a statement Monday that said in part, “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.” The statement also said the park is “cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.”

I can’t speak to what happened in this particular tragedy, and I can’t begin to imagine how his family feels. But speaking more broadly, when people ask me about safety, I tell them that, statistically, roller coasters are extraordinarily safe. According to research conducted for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions — of which I am a past chair — approximately 1.9 billion rides are taken at North American fixed-site amusement facilities in a typical year. The likelihood of a serious injury is approximately 1 in 15.5 million rides.

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Rollercoaster death highlights lack of amusement park oversight

July 22, 2013 / 04:40

The 2024 North American safety report recorded 1.27 injuries per million roller coaster rides, an increase from 0.88 per million rides in 2023. These figures include injuries beyond the most serious category and remind us that even an excellent safety record must continually be examined. And these statistics, while impressive, are admittedly of no comfort to a family whose loved one has been seriously injured or killed.

The second most common question I get about roller coasters is whether we’re doing enough to protect the people who ride them. Answering that question requires considerably more discussion.

Today’s roller coasters incorporate sophisticated computer monitoring, restraint systems, braking technology, redundant safety features and engineering tolerances developed through decades of experience. However, and this should not be taken as a suggestion that I know what caused the fatal accident at Six Flags Over Georgia, there is an important distinction between engineering a safe ride and operating that ride safely.

I have always maintained that the most important safety component of any amusement attraction is the human being responsible for its operation, inspection and maintenance.

A multimillion-dollar roller coaster can incorporate the finest engineering available, but if an employee fails to follow established procedures, then the entire safety equation can change. This brings us to the question of regulation.

In the United States, permanent amusement park rides are primarily regulated at the state level. Georgia’s amusement ride safety regulatory program is overseen by Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, and covered rides are subject to annual inspections, daily operational checks, maintenance documentation, insurance requirements and state enforcement authority. Its framework is broadly consistent with the practices of other states that actively regulate amusement rides.

Meanwhile, ASTM International, an internationally recognized organization that develops voluntary consensus technical standards, has developed extensive standards covering ride design, manufacturing, operation, maintenance and inspection. These standards are widely recognized in our industry on a global basis.

But a standard is only as effective as its implementation and enforcement. Should a roller coaster operating in Ohio be subject to different safety oversight than an equivalent attraction operating in Georgia, Florida or California? I say no.

This does not necessarily mean establishing an entirely new federal regulatory bureaucracy. The past attempt at federal regulation was deeply flawed and routinely challenged in court, and I am not convinced that another layer of government automatically produces a safer industry. I believe we need consistency in minimum inspection requirements, operator certification, maintenance documentation, incident reporting and independent oversight. Roller-coaster engineering has advanced tremendously, and our training, inspection techniques and regulatory practices must advance alongside it.

Rider responsibility is another issue that deserves attention. Riders must be made to comply with all relevant height, size, restraint and medical restrictions. These requirements are not mere suggestions; they’re mandatory. Ride operators must be empowered to deny access when those requirements aren’t met, no matter how disappointed or argumentative a guest who falls outside those parameters may be. Safety cannot be negotiated at the loading platform.

Recent tragic incidents, including the death in Georgia on Monday, have understandably renewed public concern. Each deserves a thorough, independent investigation, and we should resist the temptation to speculate about causes before the facts are established.

The roller-coaster business has always been built around a fascinating contradiction. We deliberately create the sensation of danger while engineering the attraction to minimize actual danger. That is the very essence of the roller-coaster experience.

Guests want to be frightened, but nobody wants to be hurt.

When an accident occurs, the entire industry should learn from it. Information about equipment failures, operational deficiencies and corrective actions must be communicated promptly and effectively.

I remain convinced that our industry takes safety extremely seriously. I have worked with manufacturers, engineers, maintenance professionals and operators whose commitment to protecting guests is unquestionable. But we must continually challenge our procedures, examine our weaknesses, invest in training and never allow financial pressures or operating schedules to compromise safety.

So, are roller coasters safe? Absolutely. Accidents are incredibly rare. Are our current regulations sufficient? They provide a substantial foundation, but greater consistency, transparency and enforcement would make that foundation stronger.

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