New German study on coasters and health

Hey, this is one study I would've liked to be in. They picked the right coaster for this study!

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-11/aha-rrc110705.php

So I suppose the posted warnings about participants should be in generally good health should just be ignored?

You can trip and crack your skull more liekly than die on a coaster or are a hundred million times more likely to die in a car accident.

Who's paying for all this stuff we already know about?

Chuck

You're more likely to get struck by lightening than die on a roller coaster. All of these studies about roller coasters and how they effect your health are pretty bogus and repetitive. They all say the same thing: Unless you have a life-threatening condition, the chances of you dying on a roller coaster are really, really, close to zero.

That article tells us nothing new. We all know that rollercoasters and thrillrides produce an andrenaline rush that results in temporarily increased heartbeat and blood pressure, as well as other things.

And as always, the parks themselves really can't do much outside of posting numerous warning signs in park guides/maps as well as throughout ride queues and outside of entrances - and even in the loading platform. It's up to the guests to know their physical and health limitations - which brings us to that big problem. Most people that die from a blood clot in the brain, have a heart problem don't know they have a pre-existing condition. I just feel sour everytime an amusement park is sued after a situation like that. It really is out of their control.

I would agree with that. Also, out of every 10 deaths on a coaster, if you read the report, several of those people probably did something stupid like unbuckle their seatbelt or something. Some of those also have to do with the ride op. A lot of the roller coaster deaths have nothing to do with the coaster itself, people just did something really stupid or the ride op neglected to do his/her job. I just wish some people would read the warnings, and the people who were dumb enough to unbuckle their seatbelt or loosen their lapbar to the loosest setting would just stop riding coasters. All of that stuff is there for a reason.

Nevertheless, every death is sad, and I will say that some of these people may not have understood what they were doing.

didn't we have a discussion about this to the bitter detail not too long ago? In particular "very very very very very low risk = not zero risk".

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I will say that some of these people may not have understood what they were doing.

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And some people are complete morons.

My guess is that the overlap between the two approaches 100%.

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Nevertheless, every death is sad, and I will say that some of these people may not have understood what they were doing.

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Oh, how I love when Darwin shows himself.

There's some spin in that press release. I have the article from the Baltimore Sun from the Associated Press and it differs from that press release.

Points made in article (with a beautiful picture of the Beast might I add). Note that some agree.
1) Can be dangerous to those with underlying heart conditions
2) If you have heart disease, Jurgen Kuckyk (the cardiologist who ran the study) strongly recommends not riding a roller coaster.
3) Psycological stress during the climb created much of the heart rate increase
4) "Lynn Smaha, a Pennsylvania cardiologist and spokesperson for the heart association said he would NOT (my emphasis) tell all people with heart disease to stay off roller coasters. If their condition had been properly treated, they still might be able to ride safely, he said.
5) However, he suggested that anyone with a pacemaker probably should avoid such rides. He added that more research on the heart risks of amusement rides is needed."

So we can determine that:
1) Laser at Dorney Park and Phantom's Revenge at Kennywood are probably very bad for people with heart disease and/or pacemakers, because God knows you could read an article out of a newspaper by the time you get to the top of those lifts.
2) Those launched rides are just fine. No lift hill, no heart rate increase:) Come on Grandpa, Kingda Ka is just fine! (note, my grandfather is dead, and he died of heart problems, among other things) But I would stay away from Storm Runner. The heart pumping over the PA system before the launch is definitely bad for you.
3) Cardiologists apparently are as clueless to the warnings on the signs as everyone else is. Even carnival rides have warnings.