Does Intamin manufacture unsafe equipment? INVESTIGATION

[Galvan]

In a little research that i have done involving Unsafe rollercaosters and rides it finds that since 1999, 5 people have been seriously injured or killed in accidents involving Intamin products:

1999: In May a rider was ejected from Intamin's Superman Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags Darien Lake park in New York. The victim, a 37-year-old man, was thrown from the ride near its end. He suffered only minor injuries. Investigators determined that the passenger restraint system was working properly, but that the man, who was 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed about 400 pounds, was too big for the ride. The man later won a $4 million lawsuit against the park.

1999: In August, a 12-year-old boy was killed when he fell from Intamin's Drop Zone Stunt Tower freefall ride at Paramount's Great America theme park in California. An investigation into his death yielded no explanation as to why he fell from the ride.

in September of 2001 a Woman fell 100 feet to her Death on the Perilous Plunge chute ride at Knott's Berry Farm in California, California Department of Labor determined that the rides saftey system was flawed and Intamin along with the park found a new way of securing riders.

In April of 2004, a Young Girl was killed after an accident on the Hydro, another of Intamin's river plunge rides operating at Oakwood theme park in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Then on May 1st another Intamin Tragedy: A 55-year-old man suffered fatal injuries when he fell from the Superman Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England theme park in Agawam, Massachusetts. This was the second such incident on the Popular Attraction, in 2001 21 riders where injured when 2 trains collided with eachother. The accident was blamed on faulty air valves in the brakeing system of the train.
Credit Amusement Ride Accident Reports and News.

These reports definately question the saftey of Intamin Rides especially for larger riders. Thats apperent however, Other Manufactures such has B&M and Vokema havent had nearly as many incidents as Intamin. The Question still needs to be asked "Does Intamin Manufacture Unsafe Equipment?"

Personally [The Following is my own editorial comments] I beleive that the majority of Intamin rides are safe. However, these accidents cannot be taken lightly. The truth is that Roller Coasters by physics laws dont even need safety restaint systems. And the Restaint systems in place on most roller coasters are designed in such away that makes the ride thrilling and safe at the same time. Its apperent that Intamin has had some serious saftey conserns reguarding some of there high profile rides.

The fact remains that you have a better chance of dying in a car accident on the way to the park then actually on the roller coaster itself. However while safe these glaring incidents only ask the question are Intamin Rides Safe?

That answer is...Yes, when the rider and the opperator are correctly doing there part to insure a safe ride, then yes the rides are safe. However when human error and or ride op carelessness occurs, there is an increased and apperent risk of danger.

[Papas]

Theres a story behind EVERY single one of those accidents. Also Intamin has a weight limit to a lot of their rides that may not be enforced by the park (I believe that has something to do with Perilous Plunge).
I'm not gonna say "Rides made by Intamin are unsafe" because I believe they are safe and I ride them, but certain variables do take place sometimes (those accidents have some kind of explanation).

[da rcman2001]

There not unsafe. Did you know that half of those reports were of people too fat to fit in the restraint?

[coastrcorey]

The truth is that Roller Coasters by physics laws dont even need safety restaint systems.

I don't understand what you mean there...? They certainly do need restraint systems. There aren't any physics laws saying they don't...

[rct2wizard360]

^ Actually in the long run the really dont. The only reason they are there is because the inversions and the elements can weaken the foces holding you in therefore in need of restraints. But, the first drop af a sit down rollercoaster in-deed does need restraints, as with SUF, DV, V2 vertical or lying down coasters. Look it up on this wholre physics thing my brain hurts

[EVOed8]

The truth is that Roller Coasters by physics laws dont even need safety restaint systems.

I don't understand what you mean there...? They certainly do need restraint systems. There aren't any physics laws saying they don't...

Agreed. If I rode Superman: Ride of Steel in an upright position with no lap bar or seatbelt, I'd be GONE... that goes for any of the S:RoSs. Ejector Airtime = Fatality if you aren't restrained properly.

As far as investigation goes... tell us something we don't know.

You're overweight, right? How many Intamin rides have you died on?

[Mr. D.T.]

ROFL!

[Aero737]

Yeah-I do not think there are many coasters that you can ride safely without a restraint system. On any ride once you hit 0 gravitational forces you start to float (not forced up, just you're no longer getting pushed into your seat by normal gravity). Experiencing 0g's or 'airtime' almost always happens on a hill or drop. If you had no restrain system, the rollercoaster train would follow the track, while you fly off the ride and continue on a parabolic course that kill you. Rollercoaster trains have up stop wheels, don’t they? They are to keep the train on the track while experiencing less than 1 g.

Many Many of the rollercoaster incidents I have read about involve an overweight rider, operator failure, or bad maintenance. Not all of these are intamin either. I seem to remember an overweight rider being ejected from Top Gun-a B&M invert. Very rarely is a death blamed on purely bad engineering.

[Adix]

Unless they didn't die, the Top Gun thing didn't happen...

http://members.aol.com/rides911/coasters.htm

Anyway, in many cases, injuries on rides are because of misuse of the machine... the same reasons we have "Don't attempt to use while sleeping" messages on Hair Dryers.

[Galvan]

To clarify: i mean to say "The Laws of Physics state that in some roller coaster situations: Such as in S:UFs pretzel loop, a restaint would not be needed because of the Gravitational forces,speed and weight of the passenger.

[w00dland]

You certainly don't need a restraint for rides like Whizzer, and most flat rides.

I think if any of us on here did not feel safe on roller coasters, we wouldn't be putting our hands in the air on them.