Orange County amusement parks present danger and injury according to recent study

Orange County amusement parks present danger and injury according to recent study

The state of California houses more theme parks than any other state in the United States. As such, tourists and Californians alike have been exposed to an increased risk of danger in boarding and riding the hundreds of rides throughout the state. In response to California's booming amusement park industry, the California legislature enacted laws in 2000 requiring all amusement parks to report any injury beyond simple first aid. Patrons sustaining serious injuries or death must be reported immediately to state authorities and are typically followed by an in-depth investigation into the issue.

From 2009-2010, 284 issues were reported across Orange County alone. Orange County contains Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Knott's Berry Farm, Knott's Soak City, Adventure City, Wild Rivers Waterpark and Westfield MainPlace Mall. Disney parks reported 168 serious injuries followed by Knotts Berry Farm which reported 89. Nearly half of all injuries reported in 2009 and 2010 involved head injuries and a number of those injured were afflicted with pre-existing conditions such as epilepsy or heart problems.

Injuries sustained in Orange County theme parks included chipped teeth, chin lacerations, neck pain, back injuries and bruises to the torso and spine. Out of the 76 rides investigated countywide, 10 rides were repeat offenders; namely the 'Ghost Rider' roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm, which injured 28 individuals over two years. Statistics reveal, however, that in considering the millions of people that ride on the attractions at the Disney themeparks compared with the number of serious injuries sustained each year, Disney rides are some of the safest in the country.

State authorities categorize "serious injuries" as those requiring hospitalization in excess of 24 hours. Disney had four serious injuries over two years while Knotts had one. That is four serious injuries out of 87 million rides taken- making the risk of serious injury at a Disney park in Orange County virtually incalculable. The last fatality at a California Disney theme park occurred in 2003 when a train car on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed and crushed a rider. Since then, a fatality had not been reported since 1998 when a man was struck by a nine-pound metal bar protruding from the 'Sailing Ship Columbia.'

Disney has vowed to take every safety precaution necessary to ensure no further tragedies take place on any of its rides. For instance, rides such as the Indiana Jones attraction are inspected daily by highly-qualified machinists and engineers. Multi-point checklists are followed daily and safety harnesses are double- and triple-checked before every departure.

Injuries may be uncommon at Orange County theme parks, but they are not unheard of. Luckily, theme park goers are protected by the strict requirements put in place by the California legislature. With inspections and improvements implemented on a regular basis, the state boasting the highest number of amusements in the country can hopefully also report flawless  years of unprecedented tourist safety.

Posted by LedgerLaw on Sunday June 12 2011, 3:11 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Original. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0