Theme Park Insider

Accident Watch

What is Accident Watch?

In the United States, no official source is keeping a complete national record of theme park accidents. And in many U.S. states, including Florida, theme parks are not legally required to report accidents involving injury to anyone.

That's why Theme Park Insider users are stepping up, to provide amusement park safety data that the public needs, and ought to be entitled to get.

In 2001, the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and the Online News Association honored Accident Watch with the Online Journalism Award for Service Journalism.

Recent Verified Incidents

Ride of Steel at Darien Lake
7/8/2011
James Hackemer, 29, an Iraq War veteran who had lost both legs in the war three years prior, died when he fell from the Ride of Steel roller coaster.

Recent Reports Awaiting Verification

Hurler at Kings Dominion
9/10/2011
This ride is not safe for kids... My daughter slammed her head into the side of the roller coaster and now has a black eye. I was surprised that the the staff did not have a first aid kit available. Their best solution was to walk to the entrance of the park for assistance.

How to stay safe at a theme park

For more information on how you can keep yourself and your family safe on theme park rides, check out this advice from Theme Park Insider and its readers.

Browse recent theme park accident reports

You'll find the five most recent verified accidents reported to Theme Park Insider on the right of this page. A complete list of all verified accidents reported to us is available here.

How to report an accident

You can submit an accident report for any attraction listed on Theme Park Insider from its attraction listing page. Or, go straight to the report submission pages by using this form.

Official information

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission surveys a sample of U.S. hospitals to collect information about product injuries, including those at amusement parks. However, this survey does not include incidents from seven of the nation's most popular theme parks, including those at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. Nor does the survey include injuries that required medical care, but not a trip to an emergency room.

The CPSC has used this survey data to create a report on amusement ride injuries and deaths from 1987 to 2004. The CPSC estimated 3,400 accidents at fixed site parks in 2004.

The CPSC also provides an overview of what states are--or are not--doing to inspect rides. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for both reports.)

These remain the best *official* sources of information on theme park safety in the United States.

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