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 More than 30,000 children are injured each year at amusement parks
and carnivals in the U.S., according to the Mott Poll report.
"Parents can take certain actions that can help to keep their
children safe," said Dr. Gary Freed of the University of Michigan in
Ann Arbor, who co-directs the poll.
"Parents should have a plan with their child about what to do,"
Freed told Reuters Health by email. "Parents should make sure their
child is properly restrained in any ride, and be aware of any
improper actions on the part of ride operators."
The national survey is based on responses from more than 1,200
parents with at least one child between ages 5 and 12 in early 2018.
About 82 percent said their child had been to an amusement park or
carnival in the past three years, and 85 percent had accompanied
their child.
Nearly 90 percent of parents said their child had to stay with them
or another adult at all times, and 6 percent had set check-in times
to make contact, either in person or by phone. About 79 percent said
they talked with their child about what to do if they got lost or
separated.
When children board rides at amusement parks or carnivals, 87
percent of parents said it was the responsibility of both parents
and ride operators to make sure kids are safe. About 94 percent
would "definitely" report a ride operator to authorities if they
suspected the operator was drunk or on drugs. At the same time, 69
percent would "definitely" report a ride operator for not enforcing
safety rules such as seat belts or height requirements, and 48
percent would "definitely" report a ride operator for using a cell
phone while operating the ride.
When it comes to alcohol and drug testing of ride operators, about
59 percent of parents said they preferred random testing, 13 percent
said weekly testing and 3 percent said yearly testing. About 11
percent thought checks should be done only when ride operators were
suspected of drug or alcohol use.
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"The discussion about amusement park safety is especially relevant
now, since it is summer and a popular time for families to take a
trip to an amusement park," said Connor Oehmke of the Southern
Illinois University School of Law.
In April, Oehmke, who wasn't involved with the poll, called for
national legislation regarding amusement park safety in the Journal
of Legal Medicine (https://bit.ly/2ttxqM6).
"Being a ride operator carries a significant amount of
responsibility for ensuring the safety of children," Oehmke said in
an email. "In light of this heightened responsibility, I wrongly
assumed that more parents would agree that random alcohol and drug
testing should be required, since this seems like a reasonable
safety precaution for this type of employment."
Younger children should be under consistent supervision to ensure
they meet height requirements and understand safety rules, such as
keeping hands away from safety latches, the authors of the poll
report advise. Although older children may want more freedom to roam
an amusement park, it's important to have a back-up plan, check-in
time and instructions for what to do when they get lost, they add.
In particular, parents should know that training and supervision of
ride operators vary by amusement park or carnival, the report
authors write. Parents shouldn't assume that ride operators have
been drug tested recently, for instance.
"Different states impose different requirements for amusement park
ride operators," Oehmke said. "Therefore, some state regulations
over amusement park safety are lenient, while other state
regulations are more stringent. It all depends on what state you are
in."
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2yvU2Bo Mott Poll Report, online June 18,
2018.
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