Body damage on roller coasters?

For school, I am writing a research paper if roller coasters can cause damage to the human. Does anyone have any or know where I can access information related to this topic? Thanks...

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Brett

Although i cant give you any links to information, i can tell you this:

1.) coasters will not cause damage to a person if the person is free of any physical/medical dissabilities or abnormalities that would make for an unsafe ride.

2.) coasters will not cause damage if the rider follows all guidlines and instructions given by the park.

3.) coasters *can* cause damage to a person if the ride is not properly maintained.

4.) most other reasons/possibilities are rare. (not a fixed percent), but i would guess that about 90% are the parks fault, and the other 10% is due to poor maintenance, or a rare misfunction that causes injury.

ofcourse all rides have their share of faults, its very seldom that someone gets injured.

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2003 season kicks off 3/22 w00t!! PKD here I come!
CoasterCount: 42

Oh yea, found this.

Its a study funded by Six Flags about the effects of G forces on the human brain. G forces were found to have no effect, but theres the link to the article.

http://www.emerson-associates.com/safety/

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2003 season kicks off 3/22 w00t!! PKD here I come!
CoasterCount: 42

If you need a counterpoint to the argument that coasters are safe (for debate purposes), you can visit Rep. Edward Markey's website. It's somewhere at House.gov. He is from Mass.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Ed Markey's vague rumours are not a counterpoint to anything. Sites to look at that might make a real counterpoint would include The Consumer Product Safety Commission, Amusement Rides 911, and Safer Parks. Sorry, I don't have the time to dig out the URLs. (Already past my bed time.) Be sure to look at the CPSC's 2002 report.

Most ride injuries are due to rider behaviour. Most common minor injuries are those acquired entering and exiting the ride. These are bruises, twisted ankles, etc. Minor injuries due to banging around are also common.

More serious injuries are increasingly likely to involve mechanical or operational issues though rider behaviour remains prominent. Minor and moderate Injuries are also more likely to occur on rides where the rider has some degree of control. Antique cars are notorious for neck injuries.

Coaster fatalities are rare., averaging only 1 per year. They are about evenly divided between rider behaviour, mechanical failure, and operator error.

The Six Flags report was intended to debunk Markey's claims on brain injuries, and does so reasonably well. Riding a rollercoaster or any other somewhat vigorous activity (sneezing, cutting the grass, playing tennis) can on rare occasion trigger an incident with a brain that has a preexisting disorder. The same activities can also trigger a heart attack if your heart is diseased.

Remember that the most dangerous part of your amusement park visit is the car ride there. The second greatest danger is the heat, so dress appropriately, get plenty of liquids and don't push too hard.
*** This post was edited by Jim Fisher 2/24/2003 11:51:18 PM ***

Whether you like them or not, they are a counter point. I never said they were the most valid points.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

If you wanna talk about body damage on roller coasters, try riding then writing about The Grizzly at PGA.

Yah...that and the Giant Dipper in San Diego...But at least the Giant Dipper is fun.

The difference though is that these are relatively minor injuries that folks can walk away from. The only consequence is that I'll not ride again instead of walk again.

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"Know thyself!"

Thanks coasterdude04, Jim Fisher, and General Public!

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Brett
Season:

Look in the news section. The report that Ed Markey was asking for was published today. Funny, it correlates nicely with the Six Flags study, and does very little to support the Congressman's case... :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Just my take on this...lose weight before you ride these darn things. I was squished into Vertical Velocity, cause i'm a bigger guy, and the next day I noticed I got an umbilical hernia! Oh well, the price I pay for the obsession I have!

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Millennium Force - Any other questions?

I would first ask what you mean by "body damage"? Are you talking the possibility of major (brain damage, etc.) or minor injuries (bruises, etc.)? Both my lovely bride and I have been bruised by coasters which some would define as body damage but others (myself included) wouldn't.

You may want to consider narrowing your focus to a smaller area of research; like brain damage. Trying to write a paper on a general category like body damage could be more work than it's worth.

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

I myself was thinking of inventing some sort of rock n' roll ride where Mike Tyson comes out and and punches you into a sack of chicken McNuggets. ;)

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"Know thyself!"