Some tips for keeping safe on amusement rides include:
- Always follow all posted height, age, weight and health restrictions.
- Make sure to follow any special seating order and/or loading instructions.
- Always use safety equipment such as seat belts and safety bars.
- Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times.
- Know your child. If you don't think he/she will be able to follow the rules, keep him/her off the ride.
- Trust your instincts. If you are worried about the safety of the ride, choose a different activity.
- Avoid "mall rides" if they are over a hard, unpadded surface or if they don't have a child restraint such as a seat belt.
This is the first study to describe national rates of pediatric injury involving amusement rides treated in U.S. emergency departments. Data for this study were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS provides information on consumer product-related and sports and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the country.
Researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital investigated amusement ride injuries from 1990 to 2010 and found that nearly 93,000 children were injured on rides that included everything from roller coasters at theme parks, to merry-go-rounds at county fairs to coin-operated rides at restaurants and shopping malls.
(Photo Credit: Nationwide Children's Hospital)
On average, a child is treated in an emergency department every other hour in the U.S. for injuries suffered on amusement rides, according to the first national study to examine those types of accidents in depth. Senior author Gary Smith, M.D., DrPH, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy of Nationwide Children's Hospital offers safety tips for families.
(Photo Credit: Nationwide Children's Hospital)
A study from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH found that on average, a child is treated in an emergency department every other hour in the US for injuries suffered on amusement rides, according to the first national study to examine those types of accidents in depth.
(Photo Credit: Nationwide Children's Hospital)
Source: Nationwide Children's Hospital