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If you or your child has suffered an amusement ride-related injury, or if you have a specific safety-related concern that you feel should be looked into, contact the following agencies and/or organizations.
Regulatory Agencies
Some amusement rides operated by some amusement parks and carnivals are subject to some form of regulatory oversight, and some of those regulatory agencies accept reports from the general public. The coverage is spotty and rules vary widely from state to state, ride to ride, and venue to venue. Where possible, though, ride-related accidents should be immediately reported to public safety officials:
| Step 1 | Find out whether the ride is regulated by a state safety agency. Overview of state ride safety laws. If the ride seems to be covered by state law, report the accident to the state safety agency. |
| Step 2 | Report the accident to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) . The CPSC collects reports of ride-related accidents and injuries, and oversees the safety of portable amusement rides. You can file an incident report on-line at http://www.cpsc.gov/incident.html. |
| Step 3 | If the accident occurred on a permanent ride not covered by state safety regulation, contact: the majority and minority leaders of the House Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Congressman Markey (D-Mass), author of pending legislation to repeal the loophole that exempts amusement park rides from federal consumer safety oversight. |
Amusement Ride Industry Trade Groups and Safety Organizations
Industry trade groups don't normally take accident reports, but under self-regulation, nobody else does either. If you have a safety concern that you think should be addressed, try contacting the following organizations.
- International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) - Amusement park trade group.
- Outdoor Amusement Business Association (OABA) - Traveling carnival trade group.
- Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers, International (AIMS) - Ride manufacturers trade group.
- International Inflatable Products and Games Association (IIPGA) - Inflatable device industry's trade group.
- Council of Amusement and Recreation Equipment Safety (CARES) - Voluntary organization of chief government officials who are responsible for the enforcement of amusement ride and recreational equipment regulations within their jurisdiction (U.S. and Canada).
- National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials (NAARSO) - Ride inspectors professional organization, supported by the insurance industry. NAARSO's motto is "Safety Through Communication".
