Are the fair rides safe?

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Joshua Sarfert, Staff Writer

    The Annual Carolina Classic fair returns for the second time since the Covid-19 pandemic. Friends and family gather to celebrate good food, festivals, music, and most importantly, fair rides; including the tall fireball 2000, the fast cliffhanger, the super slide, and many others. Who wouldn’t be excited to attend?

    Those looking to ride on the fun fair rides might want to reconsider. Carnival rides are responsible for 40,000 injuries every year. While that may not be specified at the Carolina Classic Fair, it’s well-known that carnival rides are far from safe.        

     The lack of safety of each ride is most likely caused by the short build and destruct times each ride has. Companies often take down and put up rides in 48 hours on a time crunch, the rides are packed in a  trunk and transported to the following location which decreases the safety of the people visiting the fair. 

    “It is strange that fair rides are assembled so quickly. Rides like the Ferris wheel go really high into the air and if something were to go wrong it could cost the lives of several people. it doesn’t seem like they’re cautious enough. I know this is probably just me being overly cautious.” Nina Howards, a sophomore at RJR said.

     Each ride’s quick build and travel time can cause severe unexpected accidents that can harm many attendees at the fair.

     “I like roller coasters a lot and although I don’t typically shy away from large roller coasters, I don’t go on any big roller coasters at the fair because they seem too unsteady. I don’t really trust them.” Howards continues.

    N.C. The Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau is in charge of inspecting all the rides. According to the official Carolina Classic Fair website, Rides are checked each time they are moved and reassembled at different locations across the state. 

     “I feel reassured knowing that fair rides are inspected each time they move. I am not a very cautious person though, so I do all the rides at the fair without thinking twice. You never really hear stories where people get hurt at the fair but knowing the rides get checked makes me feel safer.” Claudia Stinehelfer, a sophomore at RJR said.

    Most people at the fair don’t really give the safety of the rides a second thought before they go on. They just want to have a good time even if that means risking potential injuries. 

         So grab a snack, enjoy some music, and have a safe time at the fair!