A little discussed type of amusement park is that which uses inflatable rides. Often these rides are shaped like animals or dinosaurs and are especially attractive to young children. Most of them are simple slides that both parents and children can ride together, but don’t really have any safety equipment to prevent injuries.
The Hidden Dangers of Inflatable Rides
The rides can operate like a playground slide, where riders line up and wait for the person in front to finish. When their turn arrives they just jump on and slide down. Because the rides seems so simple and don’t involve high speeds, they appear safer that other types of amusement park rides. However, between 2002 and 2007 there were 31,000 emergency room visits from inflatable rides, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There were certainly many more that did not require a hospital visit or that went unreported.
These rides can be part of a fixed indoor park, or may be rented out for events or other celebrations. Often, there will not be an attendant on duty and safety is left up to the parents of children taking the ride. Injuries can result in several ways including:
One woman in Jacksonville, Florida broke her ankle when her leg shot through a hole in the ride, and her momentum crushed her leg. She filed a lawsuit against the ride operator for ‘negligent maintenance’ of the ride. Further investigation found that there were four other lawsuits filed over a three year span against the same operator, on the same ride with an identical defect. Obviously, maintenance was not a priority for the owner. However, there is a disturbing lack of regulation or oversight for this type of ride.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Safety Bulletin on Inflatable Rides
Although the danger presented from inflatable rides seems small, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a Safety Bulletin to all ride operators in 2001. The Bulletin outlined a number of recommended safety guidelines and procedures that were designed to minimize injuries to riders. Some of those included:
Inflatable rides appear innocuous, but the number of injuries sustained over the years demonstrates that they are far from safe in all situations. Just as with other amusement park rides, the issue safety comes down to ride maintenance, operator training and rider awareness of potential hazards. Failure to exercise this duty of care toward riders could expose owners and operators of inflatable rides to liability.