WEST MIFFLIN, Pa — We all know spending the day at Kennywood is a Pittsburgh tradition. But, as rides become faster and more elaborate, we asked, what's being done to keep you safe?
Only Channel 11 Morning News Anchor Katherine Amenta sat down with their safety experts about some of Kennywood's most popular rides.
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"Bars and belts. Anything to keep my guy safe," said ridegoer Paul Cedor.
Cedor always puts safety first when he rides roller coasters with his son. That's why Channel 11 went to Kennywood for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of how your family's safety is carefully planned for, on each and every ride.
Our visit comes on the heels of a picture where a girl's seat belt seemed to come unlatched in June on the "Phantom's Revenge." When it happened, Kennywood's experts told Channel 11 that the girl was safe, and the belt wasn't really necessary.
So it got us thinking, what is necessary for a safe day at an amusement park?
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Marie Ruby,Kennywood's director of ride operations, says every ride is specifically designed with a system of restraints, from belts and bars, to the human body naturally bracing itself.
Take the 99-year-old Jack Rabbit for example. It was built with just a lap bar, but in the 1980s seat belts were added.
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"It was just put in there to make people feel more secure," said Ruby.
But, she also says, don't take the lap bar for granted. It's there to be held.
"I know the thrill to ride the coaster is to put your hands up," she said. "I know it's a lot of fun, but you're not supposed to do that."
Which brings us to Kennywood's newest thrill ride, the "Steel Curtain." It has the primary restraint lap bar, a secondary nonessential seat belt and a third restraint for your legs. But there's nothing over-the-shoulder for the coaster's nine inversions.
"Whenever you wear the over-the-shoulder, you feel more restrained," said Ruby. "I myself was kind of nervous getting on it the first time, because I said, 'I wish I had something (over the shoulder).'"
But, she said, it's actually safer without it, because her head wasn't hitting up against anything.
"As long as the guests are following the rules about the way they're supposed to sit, then they're perfectly safe," said Ruby.
Ruby also gave us more advice for the Jack Rabbit. She said children should always sit on the inside, because there's a gap by the outside seat, to get in and out.
She went on to explain that for every ride, you should never ignore height requirements. If someone is too short for a ride, their head could be too close to a lap bar or they may not be contained well-enough in the seat.
To look up inspection dates for rides and parks in Pennsylvania click here. To see what we found when we checked on Kennywood and Idlewild & Soak Zone click here.