News Guest dies, found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers

[TrainsOfDisney]

it is also quite an overreaction (IMO and without a clearer picture of what happened) to claim the restraint system is now wholly unsafe and not fit to be used

Is someone saying that?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Stardust Racers is the only ride at Epic, that not only has lockers, but also uses metal detection. For a guest to lose something like a cellphone or selfie stick, the TM would have had to have missed it at the checkpoint.

The reason such checks are called security theater is because they miss a lot of stuff when tested.

 

[lazyboy97o]

So I’m at Fantasiana in Austria today where they have Helios a Mack coaster with the same restraints as Stardust Racers. I’ve obviously paid more attention to the restraint system and I’ve made a couple of observations.

You would hope that if the immediately apparent cause was something related to the standard Mack design that other coasters would not be running out of an abundance of caution.

 

[maxairmike]

Is someone saying that?

These all read to me as the restraints being unsafe/unfit to be used as a result of this one incident (when not directly mentioning the restraints, the surrounding conversation was about the restraints), even if it isn’t in those exact words. One poster even suggested this might need to result in changes for many rides using this restraint system. A freak accident occurred and that’s horrible, but to throw a 16+yr safety record out the window (including coasters nearly/just as intense using this and similar restraint systems) over it is jumping the gun.

The coaster needs to undergo changes. This should not happen, at all.

yeah that wouldn’t even be a bandaid fix. Not to mention this is already a death in less than half a year? How many more people could be claimed by this coaster before that warning is deemed “insufficient”

This is 100% on the park/coaster company imo and needs to shut down the coaster until they fix it

I was actually kidding when I wrote the warning. I was responding to someone who was implying they wouldn't change anything after this. Something clearly needs to change since someone passed out and died hitting their head on something!

I realize they aren't entirely comparable, but if someone just died from blunt force injuries from having his upper torso slammed around, they might be comparable enough. (I realize that's not a delicate way to say it, but I say it to highlight the seriousness of what happened, not to be disrespectful to the victim here.)

That said, we don't know what happened yet. If it turns out this was from something like a malfunction on the ride (lap bar coming up and hitting him in the head for example) then ok, maybe I can accept that a coaster is that much more controlled that the need for higher level restraints isn't there. For me it depends on whether or not this was due to his torso being unsecured. If it was in fact due to an unsecured upper body - I think that's a no brainer, lap belts don't cut it for a ride like this. But again, that might not be the case.

Oh I do think this is probably not "Universals" fault, I more so meant the manufacturer. It would be Universals fault if the incident was due to age or lack of training but based on everything we've heard, that is not the case it appears. I'm just surprised something like this could be missed in testing if it is a fault of the coaster itself (which it appears to be)

I feel like the ride should be tested to verify if someone passing out could die from hitting their head (which appears to be the case) If that is true, something needs to be updated about the restraints, perhaps an over the head restraint is necessary due to the coaster layout/train design? Who knows, like I said I'm not an engineer. I'm a nurse.

 

[My95cobras]

Again, do you have a source? This is completely opposite of what they tell you in a car, where lap belts have not been used for a long time.

The delta v of a rollercoaster, even the most extreme one ever made, is nothing compared to a vehicle crash.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I don’t see the issue here. Are you really saying that if the problem is the restraint system - when paired with this particular coaster - then that’s ok as long as someone only dies every once in awhile?

No one is saying to make changes if the restraint system is not the issue. If it is, then of course it should be changed. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

 

[Baloo124]

How would someone get multiple blunt force injuries from a selfie stick?

Simple.
Offer any constructive criticism to a theme park vlogger.

 

[DisneyHead123]

The delta v of a rollercoaster, even the most extreme one ever made, is nothing compared to a vehicle crash.

Again though, source on the safety of lap vs shoulder restraints?

 

[My95cobras]

Again though, source on the safety of lap vs shoulder restraints?

The source is just common knowledge.

It’s why you don’t wear a ballistic vest to play paintball, a little extra padding maybe, but paintballs and bullets are going significantly different velocities.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Again though, source on the safety of lap vs shoulder restraints?

The ones that *seem* safest to me are the ones on space mountain Paris. Not sure what other coasters have them…. Maybe the hyper at kings dominion?

 

[DisneyHead123]

The ones that *seem* safest to me are the ones on space mountain Paris. Not sure what other coasters have them…. Maybe the hyper at kings dominion?

Yes after getting acquainted with this topic briefly through search there seems to be a feeling that the “vests” are either safest, or most commonly used for the most intense rides.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The ones that *seem* safest to me are the ones on space mountain Paris. Not sure what other coasters have them…. Maybe the hyper at kings dominion?

The optional vest on the Vekoma restraint is optional because it is a visual placebo. It is not actually a restraint.

 

[DisneyHead123]

The source is just common knowledge.

It’s why you don’t wear a ballistic vest to play paintball, a little extra padding maybe, but paintballs and bullets are going significantly different velocities.

As I’ve said, if that’s the case - that the restraints were not the issue - then sure, don’t fix something that isn’t broken. If this was due to this rider’s upper body being unsecured, however, then a lap restraint wasn’t sufficient.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I don’t see the issue here. Are you really saying that if the problem is the restraint system - when paired with this particular coaster - then that’s ok as long as someone only dies every once in awhile?

No one is saying to make changes if the restraint system is not the issue. If it is, then of course it should be changed. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

Maybe? We’re willing to take far greater risks every day for convenience. 200+ people have died in the US since in this incident due to motor vehicles. A good 40% of them were pedestrians.

 

[Jrb1979]

Yes after getting acquainted with this topic briefly through search there seems to be a feeling that the “vests” are either safest, or most commonly used for the most intense rides

The vests aren't used on a lot of the newer coasters now. A lot are using restraints like this. They are safe and it allows for a more intense ride.

 

[Andrew C]

The vests aren't used on a lot of the newer coasters now. A lot are using restraints like this. They are safe and it allows for a more intense ride. View attachment 883942

This is a fun one.

 

[DisneyHead123]

The vests aren't used on a lot of the newer coasters now. A lot are using restraints like this. They are safe and it allows for a more intense ride. View attachment 883942

If they’re safe for a given coaster that’s great. I’m not a coaster person but I certainly want enthusiasts to have the best ride that is (safely) possible.

 

[Tom Morrow]

The reason such checks are called security theater is because they miss a lot of stuff when tested.

It's a safety measure, not a security measure, and it's still probably like 99% effective. Having a few things slip by is far, far better than every rider having their phones and other hard projectile objects on them.

Likewise, having security screening deters most potential threats from even trying vs. not having one at all.

 

[JT3000]

Yes after getting acquainted with this topic briefly through search there seems to be a feeling that the “vests” are either safest, or most commonly used for the most intense rides.

Vests are pointless, overly complicated and can cause issues themselves. Icebreaker at SeaWorld opened with vest restraints but had to take them off after an incident involving a child getting injured.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The optional vest on the Vekoma restraint is optional because it is a visual placebo. It is not actually a restraint.

I’m guessing the ones at Paris are different then?

Vests are pointless, overly complicated and can cause issues themselves.

The ones in Paris seem to work well and solved some issues correct?