Public concern over theme park ride safety has increased following the death of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, who was pronounced dead in the hospital after riding Universal Orlando Resort’s Stardust Racers coaster on September 17.
The 32-year-old died from “multiple blunt impact injuries,” according to the medical examiner for the Orlando area.
Although his death was ruled an accident and investigators confirmed the ride was functioning properly, social media users have been voicing broader concerns about ride safety — particularly the effectiveness of lap bars and over-the-shoulder restraints.
So just how safe are theme park rides?
Industry data suggests the odds of being seriously injured on a fixed-site U.S. theme park ride are about 1 in 15.5 million rides taken, with an average of four to five fatalities annually.
By comparison, 40,000 people die on U.S. roads every year.
So how do theme parks achieve such a high level of safety?
Personal injury attorney Doug Burnetti, founder of law firm Burnetti, P.A., along with two theme park safety specialists — former Disney ride technician Royce Dorazio and Mat Merten, owner of consultancy Sil Safe — say visitors can have confidence that rides won’t go wrong.
Dorazio told The Independent: “In larger parks like Disney and Universal — especially in Orlando — safety protocols are top tier. Social media might blow up if an animatronic breaks, but when it comes to the things that actually matter for safety, the standards are very high.
“Disney, Universal and the other major players might compete on the business side, but they all work closely together on safety.”
According to Burnetti, safety is baked in at the beginning of the design phase. He revealed: “[There are] maximum allowable g-forces and accelerations, and other safety measures like structural integrity and restraint systems. Designers use simulations, stress tests, and strict force limits to ensure rides operate safely under any conditions.”
Once the ride is built, it’s tested again and again before the public is allowed on.
Merten said: “Rides undergo extensive pre-operational testing before any rider is allowed onboard. This involves several phases. First is the Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT): The ride is assembled and tested at the manufacturer for mechanical, structural, and control faults.
“Once installed at the park, the entire system undergoes repeated cycling — often hundreds of times — with sensors, dummies, and finally human testers. Usually trained staff or regulatory inspectors.”
Independent state or local inspectors must then certify that the ride meets all the standards.
Merten continued: “No one is allowed on a ride until all these tests are passed and safety documentation is complete.”
Once the ride is open, it’s subject to a continuous cycle of inspections, day and night.
Merten says rides “must pass daily pre-opening inspections, including checks of restraint systems — lap bars, over-the-shoulder restraints — track integrity, and safety system functioning, including sensors”.
Dorazio added: “Mechanics physically walk the coaster tracks every single night. They make sure everything is where it should be. Most of the shutdowns you see during the day aren’t mechanical failures at all – they’re caused by things like guests dropping selfie sticks or other objects onto the track.”
How much protection do lap bars and over-the-shoulder harnesses provide?
“A lot,” Dorazio said. “These restraints are engineered to handle a huge amount of stress. Though operators also have to enforce weight and height limits properly. If a ride isn’t operated correctly, the fault isn’t with the manufacturer or the ride itself — it’s an operational issue.”
Merten added: “Modern restraints are sensor-interlocked — rides will not dispatch unless all are locked and verified by the ride’s controls.”
Are staff at major parks well trained?
Dorazio said: “Absolutely. The training materials are there. I was trained on manuals for each ride, and the same training is provided to operators.”
Any advice for concerned guests?
“Follow the rules,” says Dorazio. “Even if you don’t understand why a height or weight limit exists, it’s there for a reason.”
Incidents like the Stardust Racers tragedy are extremely rare. Coasters are built by trusted manufacturers, operators receive rigorous training, and safety is the industry’s top priority.
Guests, Dorazio stressed, “should feel confident that theme parks take safety very seriously”.
Universal declined to comment.
