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About General Safety
How safe are rides at U.S. amusement parks and carnivals?
How much control do you have over your own safety when you're on a ride?
How many accidents are caused by equipment failure?
What are some red flags that should make you re-think riding a certain ride?
Why is it important to find the ride that fits?
Are today's high acceleration rides more dangerous than slower rides?
The industry blames most accidents on rider misconduct. Is this an accurate assessment?
About Child Safety
Are children at higher risk for injury on amusement rides?
What should parents know about choosing rides for children?
What safety lessons should parents teach children before visiting parks and carnivals?
When is it safe to let my child ride alone?
If my child is too short to ride alone, is it safe for him to ride with his older brother?
Who develops child safety standards for amusement rides?
ASTM International oversees a volunteer committee that drafts, debates, and adopts consensus safety standards for U.S. amusement rides. Most of the 400+ members of the ASTM F-24 committee work for the industry in some capacity.
The industry's design standard, ASTM F2291, grandfathers older ride designs in perpetuity. Since rides can have an operational life of 50 years or more, the level of safety-by-design provided to child riders varies widely depending on the age and type of ride, the manufacturer, the company operating the ride, and any state/local regulations.
Parents are an important part of the child safety system for amusement rides. Don't assume an industry standards organization will safeguard your child. Industry and regulators count on parents to protect children from dangerous amusement ride experiences. To learn more, visit the For Parents page.
About Data and Statistics
How many people are injured on U.S. amusement rides each year?
What is the most common cause of amusement ride accidents and injuries?
What are the most common types of injuries on go-karts, waterslides, and inflatables?
Where does Saferparks get its data and statistics?
Who generates the safety statistics quoted by the amusement park industry?
About Safety Oversight
What safety regulations apply to U.S. amusement rides?
What about the big parks like Disney World and Six Flags?
Who checks up on the carnivals that move around from place to place?
Why are amusement park rides exempt from federal safety oversight?
If signed into law, what would Congressman Markey's bill do?
If a park is already subject to state regulation, why is a federal layer of oversight important?
Why is it important that serious accidents be investigated by the government?
