The horrific death of a man who was ejected from a Six Flags roller coaster in Georgia is drawing attention to the safety of amusement park rides that have become increasingly faster and steeper in their quest for the biggest thrill.
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that → eject → thrill
Even so, deaths on roller coasters are still extremely rare, and Georgia officials have said little about what happened Monday when Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was thrown from his seat while riding the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia before striking other patrons and then landing below the ride.
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Kariem → say → ride
Goliath uses a sheer drop from 200 feet (61 meters) to reach top speeds of 70 mph (112 kph) and focuses on velocity and downhill plunges rather than turning riders upside down through loops or corkscrews.
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Goliath → use → loops
It has operated at the park for two decades.
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It → operate → decades
Six Flags temporarily closed nine similar coasters across North America following the death, saying it was doing so out of an abundance of caution.
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it → close → caution
Ride manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard said it is “actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until we have a better understanding of what happened.”
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what → say → understanding
The US has a patchwork of rules regarding rides
In the U.S., roller coasters and other rides at major amusement parks such as Six Flags are not regulated by the federal government.
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coasters → have → government
That responsibility falls to states.
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responsibility → fall → states
Some say this has led to an inconsistent patchwork of rules where some states have strict regulations and others have little to no oversight.
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others → say → oversight
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has repeatedly introduced legislation to close what he calls a “loophole” in federal law that allows U.S. safety officials to regulate mobile rides, but prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from overseeing stationary rides like those at major amusement parks.
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officials → introduce → parks
Brian Avery, a University of Florida professor and amusement ride safety expert, agrees that more federal regulations are needed.
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regulations → agree → Florida
“Who’s watching those in these organizations to ensure that they are adequately trained, that they are compliant, that they are monitoring these rides to the level in which the standards have established?” Avery said.
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Avery → watch → which
Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which oversees annual ride inspections in the state, is “conducting an in‑depth and comprehensive review” of what happened Monday at Six Flags, said Garrison Bennett, a spokesperson.
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Bennett → oversee → Flags
Amusement park industry has set its own safety standards
Amusement park operators worldwide generally adhere to what are known as ASTM standards set by industry experts, which cover everything from ride design and construction to how much acceleration and force each rider is allowed to experience.
The industry has multiple layers of inspection, said Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant and past president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group.
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Speigel → set → Parks
Park operators are under pressure from insurance carriers that could face a hefty payout if something goes wrong.
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something → face → payout
“With the checks and balances that are put in place, theme parks are really one of the safest places to be on the planet,” he said in a phone interview Tuesday.
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he → put → interview
The trade group said the chance of being seriously injured on a U.S. amusement park ride is 1 in 15.5 million rides taken.
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chance → say → rides
Martin Lewinson, a roller coaster expert and a professor at Farmingdale State College, said it was difficult to imagine there being a mechanical malfunction on a roller coaster such as Goliath because of its design.
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it → say → design
The ride features a pull-down lap restraint, called a “clamshell,” that works with a ratchet mechanism that makes clicking sounds as you press it down over your hips.
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you → feature → hips
These have multiple disks to ensure redundancy if one fails, Lewinson said.
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Lewinson → have → redundancy
“They’re dependable.
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They → ’re → ?
They’re not so technically advanced that theme parks have difficulty with operations,” Lewinson said.
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Lewinson → ’re → operations
The operator then has a safety system that displays a green “go” light for every seat on the train before it can be dispatched.
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it → have → train
The train should theoretically not be allowed to proceed unless all restraints are locked, Lewinson said.
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Lewinson → allow → ?
In 2022, a 14-year-old Missouri boy fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride when the harness didn’t lock properly due to his size.
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harness → fall → size
In 2013, a 52-year-old Dallas woman was killed when she slipped out of her seat on the Texas Giant ride at Six Flags Over Texas.
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she → kill → Texas
Six Flags has since added redesigned restraint-bar pads, seat belts and a coaster seat at the ride’s entrance so guests can check before they get on whether they fit safely into the cars.
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they → add → cars
Nick Mendenhall, who has been on the Goliath more than a dozen times in recent weeks, said he saw Six Flags staff check the restraints each time he rode it.
“
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he → say → it
There are two employees, one on either side of the train, and with their hands they push down and they make sure it locks every time.
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it → be → hands
I’ve never seen them not do it,” Mendenhall said.
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Mendenhall → see → it
States handle oversight in different ways
In California, the state Department of Industrial Relations approves new rides and rides that have been modified.
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that → handle → rides
State officials either directly inspect them and how they are being operated each year or rely on an annual inspection by the owner, according to the department’s website.
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they → inspect → website
Instead, the largest theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols, but they must report to the state any injury or death.
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they → conduct → injury
Texas, similarly, relies on inspections carried out by private inspectors hired by park operators or their insurance companies.
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Texas → rely → operators
Arizona, where Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix is located, does not have a state-level agency that regulates amusement park rides or conducts safety inspections at all.
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that → locate → inspections
The law requires an annual private inspection, with enforcement largely by local government.
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law → require → government
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