CPSC Identifying Amusement Ride Defects

The Recalls & Compliance Division within the Office of Compliance is responsible for, among other things, identifying defects in consumer products which present substantial product hazards and developing recalls designed to remove such products from both consumers and the chain of distribution.

The Commission’s jurisdiction over amusement rides is limited to those that are not permanently fixed to a site, i.e., those rides transported from location to location. According to the best available information, currently only a few states do not have state administered programs for mobile rides or fixed-site rides while authority under each state's legislation differs, the main purpose is the prevention of ride incidents through the early identification of unsafe and defective rides.

This Directory identifies the individual state offices dedicated to ride safety to encourage communication among the states and the federal government. The high level of expertise developed by state amusement ride officials and their willingness to share their investigative reports and their expertise have been invaluable in identifying unsafe amusement rides and preventing future ride incidents on a national level.

The CPSC staff engages in the following activities to foster amusement ride safety:
1. Serving as a clearinghouse for safety information on ride incidents identified by
Commission investigators and state and local ride officials. We transmit this information to state and local officials periodically or as needed.
2. Monitoring and participating in voluntary standards activities associated with mobile
amusement rides through the ASTM Committee F24 on Amusement Rides and Devices.
3. Developing technical expertise for mobile amusement rides.
4. Undertaking investigations to identify specific mobile rides which may contain defects which present substantial product hazards. Most Commission investigations are in response to mobile ride incidents. As complaints are received either from state officials, consumers, or others, our technical staff evaluates them and we take appropriate follow-up action.
5. Providing state and local officials and media information on deaths and injuries associated with amusement rides.Amusement Ride Accident