The Sampson tire fell from the Orlando FreeFall fall tower, which lifts the riders and then throws them nearly 400 feet at speeds in excess of 75 mph, according to ICON Park, where the incident occurred. There were also questions about whether the Tire was too big for the ride. “My son was 6’5, 340. So he’s a big guy,” said Tire’s father, Yarnell Sampson. In an effort to better understand the broader issue of regulation in the amusement park industry, CNN reviewed safety reports and spoke to experts about the parks’ operations and why they do not have federal oversight.
Who runs the amusement parks?
Typically, government agencies are overseen, according to Randy King, a security consultant based in Houston, Texas, who has over 30 years of experience in the security and amusement park industry. In terms of standardizing park safety, the industry relies on ASTM International, an organization that develops and publishes standards for a number of industries, including amusement parks, he said. and Attractions (IAAPA), a trade group that represents amusement parks, according to King. The ASTM committee that operates the amusement parks meets twice a year, according to the organization’s website. IAAPA publishes an annual safety report on parks and organizes exhibitions and training for member organizations.
What is the story behind the regulation system?
A state department of agriculture normally regulates amusement parks, or at least fixed (or stationary) routes, according to Martin Lewison, an associate professor at Farmingdale University in New York, who was named “Professor Roller Coaster” by the New York Times. This is because the parks started out as travel businesses appearing at U.S. trade fairs – farmers showed up with a precious pumpkin or cow and then a showman took walks, Lewison said. “Agricultural institutions have always been responsible for such events and this has led to a modern regulatory structure where – in most states – a department of the Ministry of Agriculture oversees fixed routes,” he said. As the size of the amusement park industry grew in the last century, some elements came under federal scrutiny. But the industry avoided ignoring it. “(The) industry has for many years pushed back federal oversight of fixed entertainment routes,” Lewiston said. In the early 1980s, Congress ruled that the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission was solely responsible for transportation. The so-called “Roller-Coaster Loophole” did not fit in well with some lawmakers. In 2001, then-US Congressman (now Senator) Edward Markey from Massachusetts called for the CPSC to resume oversight. “Markey first started his crusade to close the window in 1999 and has been trying to close it since. ‘A window into the law,’” he said.
So why aren’t amusement parks subject to federal regulation?
King and Lewison say the answer to this is simple: The industry will not benefit from federal oversight. “It could make things worse,” King said, adding that the federal government’s involvement does not make things better. At this point, Lewison said involvement from federal authorities would cost the industry dearly. “They would now have to deal separately with a federal regulator that would suddenly be responsible for every leisure ride to a fixed location in the United States,” he said. There are thousands of regular entertainment routes across the country, many of which are family-run go-karts and / or children’s trains. “The industry obviously does not want this extra cost to deal with a new set of rules and regulations, because many of these companies are small companies that do not make huge profits. There are only so many Six Flags and Disneys out there,” Lewison said. “Therefore, for them, it is quite easy to cover the additional costs. But for many small businesses, which are the majority of the industry, any additional costs can be catastrophic in terms of their end result,” he said. Both King and Lewison told CNN they believe government agencies have done an excellent job of setting up amusement parks. “The security culture has already been largely integrated into the industry,” Lewison said.
How often do people die on amusement park rides?
It is very rare for someone to die, let alone be injured on a walk in an amusement park. The safety history of the amusement park industry is astounding, Lewison said, and tour planners are serious about their job and safety. “The entertainment industry operates with the understanding that one injury is too many and that there is an impressive effort by industry security professionals to enhance security at our facilities,” said Jim Seay, president of Baltimore-based Premier Rides and member of the IAAPA Security Committee. “Deaths from the route are extremely rare and that is why, like a plane crash, they are widely covered in the news,” Seay said. “Statistically, you are safer walking in an amusement park than most other forms of recreation and even driving in the park, although this does not prevent the efforts of industry safety experts to focus on making the industry even safer. . “ The chances of being seriously injured on a route to a fixed location in the US are 1 in 15.5 million, the IAAPA said. In other words, a person is more likely to die from a bee sting or a dog attack than to be injured on a ride in an amusement park, according to National Security Council statistics. An IAAPA 2020 Driving Safety Report – in which it surveyed 162 facilities – reported that the majority (60%) of injuries came from family and adult walks. The report also said that there were 341 injuries due to passengers, although the report also added that the number is significantly lower than in 2019 (1,294) due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the entertainment industry in 2020. “Accidents like this are extremely rare,” Lewison said. “You are even more likely to die falling off a chair than to die on a fun ride.” CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Leyla Santiago and Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report.
