If you’re wondering how safe it is to ride a roller coaster, you probably should worry less about the hardware and more about the software in your body.
Most accidents, injuries and deaths are not due to mechanical failure but to medical problems.
The Formula Rossa roller coaster in Abu Dhabi reaches a maximum speed of 240 km/h in five seconds. This is the fastest roller coaster in the world.
You literally shouldn’t ride it – or any other roller coaster for that matter – if you have heart disease.
In fact, a scientific study of roller coaster deaths in the US found that most deaths are due to medical conditions caused or aggravated by roller coaster riding.
Of the 29 patrons who died during the 10-year period ending May 2004, 18 died from disease and 15 from heart problems or intracranial hemorrhage. Only 11 were due to external causes such as falls or collisions.
A 2017 study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma found that coasters posed no immediate risk of acute brain injury (although they didn’t conduct the test on subjects who raced the Formula Rossa). In fact, researchers found that roller coaster rides caused brain strain similar to that of running and less than headshots in soccer.
Another study suggests you might skip the roller coaster if you have a bad back. Neck and back injuries are not unheard of, but it depends on the person, according to a study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
This 1992 study looked at roller coaster injuries over a 19-month period. Among the 932,000 roller coaster riders examined, there were a total of 656 neck and back injuries. 72 percent of these injuries had a cervical disc injury.
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