Two girls injured falling from carnival Zipper

Check this out

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml77/77098.html

What a shame. I remember hearing about the 70's Zipper accidents. The Zipper remains my alltime favorite ride. I haven't heard of any publicized misfortunes on them in years, I figured they had the problems taken care of.

I don't know why they made the entry door the whole flat front of the car.. unless it was designed that way to keep the travelling height down. At least if the doors were on the side somehow (which would mean the cars would have to be bigger) you would stand a much better chance of not getting ejected out of the car if the door were to open.

The way the door/lap bar is now, perhaps a supplimentary seat belt mounted to the bottom of the cage may slow down your exit if the door were to suddenly open, at least till the operator could get the ride stopped.

Unfortunately, the only Zippers I can come across any more are at the travelling carnivals. The closest semi-perminant one to here (Pittsburgh) that I knew of was Ocean City MD, other than that, it was travelling carnival hit-and-miss. I haven't been to OC in years, I don't know if its still there... although if I recall correctly, they would let an adult ride that one alone. Back in the 80s, anyway......

I actually feel safter on the Zipper than I do on many other rides at carnivals. For example I almost fell out of an octopus type ride and a ring of fire ride but never have I felt that I was going to fall out of the Zipper. Thw problem here wasn't the ride it was the maintenance. That is pretty much alwyas the problem with carnie rides is many states do not have strcit enough maintenance laws. Here In NC we have strict laws now that have caused many smaller parks to close, such as Jubilee Park by the beach. And carnival rides here alwyas have to be instpected and there have been many occasions when I have attended carnivals and some of the rides are not open due to maintenance.....Don't blame it on the ride.