Each year, 320 million people visit America’s amusement parks and come back for more because they have a fun and safe time with…
Each year, 320 million people visit America’s amusement parks and come back for more because they have a fun and safe time with their families, thanks to the scientific safety engineering that serves as the foundation of the amusement park industry’s impeccable safety record.
A politician who thinks more federal regulation upon more federal bureaucracy makes our parks safe is a politician who doesn’t know much about our industry, because we are all about fun and safety for our guests, said Clark Robinson, President of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (
Robinson noted that even government figures and data collected by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) shows that the injury rate at an amusement park is incredibly lower than that found in other forms of recreation. Without any doubt, when you’re in one of America’s amusement parks, you’re in one of America’s safest places.
According to CPSC data, there were about 6,500 injuries related to fixed- site amusement parks in 2000. Yet, for the same year, the CPSC reported more than 600,000 bicycle injuries; 181,000 skating injuries; 100,000 trampoline injuries; 72,000 fishing injuries; and over 9,000 golf cart injuries.
Robinson also pointed out that amusement parks are one of the most regulated industries in the country, working with state and local officials nationwide to ensure the safety of visitors. The industry also operates well within the standards drafted by the American Society for Testing and Materials, including g-force standards, to ensure a uniform standard of engineered safety for all park guests. This system has worked very well in reducing accidents at fixed-site parks, Robinson said. Yet, federal oversight of mobile parks under the Consumer Product Safety Commission has led to a 33 percent increase in injuries at mobile parks since 1981. Federal government oversight is obviously not the answer for fixed-site parks.
Our guests deserve and depend on sound, scientific biomechanical engineering to ensure their safety, Robinson said. No political rhetoric nor political legislative agenda can ever replace the science that keeps Americans safe in our parks.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
