Congressman Carson Introduces National Amusement Park Ride Safety Act

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman André Carson (IN-07) introduced the National Amusement Park Ride Safety Act.

Every year, over 300 million people visit amusement parks in the United States, but currently, not all of these rides are federally regulated. It’s estimated that over 22,000 people in 2023 were injured at amusement parks and treated in a hospital. Just earlier this week, 22 people were suspended in the air for hours on a pinwheel ride at Knott’s Berry Farm in California.

“Millions of Americans enjoy amusement park rides every year with the expectation that the rides are safe, and that safety incidents will be thoroughly investigated,” said Congressman Carson. “But there are too many gaps in our current policies that put people at risk. My bill will address these gaps and ensure visitors can enjoy amusement park rides across the country with confidence.”

The National Amusement Park Ride Safety Act would increase the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s ability to ensure experts can effectively develop safety standards for amusement park rides. It will investigate accidents, develop and enforce action plans to correct defects, help improve safety training for roller operators, and act as a national clearinghouse for accident and defect data. The full bill text is attached.

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