Approximately four deaths annually in the United States are associated with roller coasters. Roller coaster designers are experts on the physics of flinging people through the air in safe but terrifying ways. “It’s the illusion of danger,” said Rob Decker, who has collaborated on more than 30 roller coasters. The odds of dying on a roller coaster are 1 in 300,000,000.
A 10-year-old who lost consciousness on a Six Flags roller coaster in Southern California has died. A man has died after riding a roller coaster at the Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati, Ohio. Kings Island amusement park reopened a roller coaster a day after the death of the man who had been riding it. Emergency personnel took the man to a hospital, where he later died.
Historical Incidents
In 1982, a person died after jumping a guard rail and trying to ride on top of the elevator at the park’s replica of the Eiffel Tower. In 1930, a car on Omaha’s Big Dipper roller coaster fell 35 feet, killing four and injuring 17. At the time, it was the deadliest amusement park accident in U.S. history. On July 11, 2010, a 21-year-old woman from Louisiana fell 30 feet from the Xtreme roller coaster and later died.
Health Risks and Precautions
It’s rare, but deaths have happened on theme park rides. Neurologists say passing out on roller coasters can happen because the g-force deprives the brain of blood and oxygen. Some riders experience "redouts," seeing red when blood rushes to the head.
No one has ever been decapitated on Space Mountain. But a 37-year-old man died on Splash Mountain in Florida. The same year, a 10-year-old girl died after losing consciousness following a ride on the Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California.
While riding an indoor kiddie coaster, a three-year-old boy wriggled out from under the safety bar and fell between two cars, dying from injuries. No one has died on Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. Though rare, enough accidents occur that more oversight is needed.
The likelihood of dying on a roller coaster is one in 750 million. But injuries can be life-changing.
Are roller coasters safe?
The odds of dying on a roller coaster are 1 in 300,000,000. It’s the illusion of danger,” said Rob Decker, who has collaborated on more than 30 roller coasters.
Kings Island amusement park reopened a roller coaster a day after the death of a man who had been riding it. While riding an indoor kiddie coaster, a three-year-old boy wriggled out from under the safety bar and fell between two cars, dying from injuries.
The longest Gyro height drop in the world at 272 feet. It’s rare, but deaths have happened on theme park rides. Neurologists say passing out on roller coasters can happen because the g-force deprives the brain of blood and oxygen.
No one has been decapitated on Space Mountain. On July 11, 2010, a 21-year-old woman from Louisiana fell 30 feet from the Xtreme roller coaster and later died. The likelihood of dying on a roller coaster is one in 750 million. Though rare, enough accidents occur that more oversight is needed.