Summer thrill
seekers want roller coasters with twisting turns, vertical drops, and
sudden stops. But there is growing concern that these coasters
are not safe. Most experts point their fingers at the G-force
stress, or force of gravity on your body, caused by these fast rides.
Researchers Say Coasters Don't Cause Brain Injury
To find out if the new breed of roller coasters posed
a brain injury risk, three popular high G-force coasters were
studied. The fastest head accelerations for these rides were too slow
for severe head injuries to occur. This led researchers to declare
current roller coasters safe for your brain.
Keep in mind
that only a small handful of coasters were studied. Further
research is being done as newer, faster coasters pop up across the
country.
Roller Coasters Are Not for
Everyone
If you do jump on the latest thrill ride, be sure to obey
posted rules and heed special warnings. Certain people are at
increased risk for injury on a roller coaster. These include individuals
with certain medical conditions, such as:
- high blood
pressure
- heart problems
- spinal
injuries
- stroke.
Older adults, pregnant women, young
children, and people taking certain medications also should skip the
roller coaster and try another ride.
If you experience
symptoms such as a headache, neck pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting,
or confusion after riding a roller coaster, get medical help
immediately.
