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With the freakish number of deaths last year in a short amount of time (none of which had anything to do with the normal gravitational force of coasters) on amusement rides, the folks on the hill are contemplating federal regulation of ride safety.
Check out the Associated Press article by way of CNN.
The piece mentions some of the new Ohio coasters, and quotes Dr. Richard Brown, who has been testing rides at parks like Cedar Point, for years.
One of the central points of this debate is that a Japanese doctor attributed several subdural hematoma on patients to the Fujiyama coaster. Dr. Brown said in last Sunday's Plain Dealer that these cases were caused by pre-existing conditions, and could have just as easily been caused by a sneeze. He further indicated that the rapid acceleration and deceleration of any commercial jet causes longer sustained G-forces than any roller coaster.
The verdict? Once again our politicians want to jump to conclusions and "protect" us from a problem that doesn't exist. They might mean well, but aren't they really just looking for votes? Write your congressman and tell them this is silly nonsense. Even direct them to this story, if you like. Contact them on-line here: http://www.house.gov/writerep/