Fair Safety

Staff Reporter Becca Matias

With County Fairs over and the State Fair just beginning, families are flocking to Indiana’s fairgrounds for funnel cakes, lemon shakeups and family fun. However, after two recent accidents involving fair rides, families should think twice before jumping into the Ferris Wheel line. At a County Fair in Tennessee, three young girls sustained serious injuries after a malfunction of the Ferris Wheel they were riding. The car they were riding in “got stuck” and turned sideways halfway up, causing the girls to fall 35-45 ft to the ground; onlookers described the scene as “water pouring from a glass."

This accident came just after a ten-year-old was killed in Kansas City on Verruckt, the world’s tallest water slide. Both of these accidents have raised questions about the safety of rides for children. Studies have shown that thousands of children are injured each year on fair rides, with 28% of injuries involving head or neck damage and 1.5% requiring hospitalization. In 2015 there were 45,000 reported injuries with 30,000 of those injuries affecting children under the age of 18. In conclusion go to the fair, eat cotton candy, have fun and most importantly, be wary of fair rides showing their age. For more information go to CNN.