Aug 20, 2016 4 min read

Every summer, thousands of us stream into carnivals and amusement parks and pay for the privilege of being spun, soaked, whirled, dropped, shaken, rattled and rolled on rollercoasters, slides and other rides. We hunger for the adrenaline-surging thrill, but also want the comfort and certainty that we are going to get off the ride with our wits still about us and our limbs still attached, so we can go grab an overpriced hot dog or run to the next long line for another ride and another rush.

For the most part, everyone goes home safely, even if their wallets are inevitably a little lighter. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions has said your chances of being seriously injured on an amusement park ride are infinitesimal – about 1 in 16 million. Probably the most dangerous part of a trip to a carnival or amusement park is putting the keys in a vehicle’s ignition and getting on the road.

Nevertheless, a recent spate of injuries and one horrific death have put a new spotlight on how carnivals and amuseument parks are inspected and regulated.

Earlier this month, the 10-year-old son of a Kansas state legislator was killed on a water slide in Kansas City, Kan. Then, three children fell about 40 feet from a Ferris wheel at a county fair in Tennessee as a result of a mechanical failure, leaving a 6-year-old girl with a traumatic brain injury. Then, a 3-year-old boy fell from a 78-year-old rollercoaster Aug. 11 at the Idlewild and SoakZone amusement park in Ligonier.

According to estimates from the National Safety Council, a little more than 1,000 people suffered injuries on rides in 2014, with just over 100 of those being classified as serious.

Sure, some of those injuries were almost certainly the result of visitors who left their common sense at the front gate, or children who didn’t know any better. Many parks have their own inspectors, and rides are designed by professionals with safety in mind. Operators of any amusement park or carnival should hope that customers feel comfortable – after all, why would they come back if they didn’t?

But inspection of amusement parks and carnivals is a patchwork system. Until 1981, Consumer Product Safety Commission handled inspections on both traveling carnivals and fixed-site amusement parks. But the commission now handles just carnivals, which makes sense since they frequently cross state lines. It’s now left to each state to determine how they inspect amusement parks and how often they do. In Pennsylvania, state-certified inspectors look over rides at amusement parks every 30 days and also perform random checks. Six states – Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, South Dakota, Mississippi and Alabama – do not regulate amusement parks at all.

Some have argued that there need to be federal, uniform standards. U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, a Democrat of Massachusetts, has been pushing legislation that would restore inspections from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but it has not gotten any traction.

While the industry itself is arguing against federal inspections, the lack of them means that no data is being collected that could shed more light on safety issues, and there are no uniform standards. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, recently told USA Today there needs to be a more far-reaching inspection regime.

“Anyone would be concerned by, summer after summer, some of the catastrophic injuries that are occurring,” Smith explained. “Given the volume of users, we need a better coordinated effort.”

Carnivals will soon be mothballing their wares and amusement parks will be closing up shop as autumn arrives. The question of whether they should be inspected differently, or more aggressively, should provide grist for serious discussion during the off-season.