Rollercoaster safety has been a topic of great discussion amongst politicians, parents and park owners. The old steel carts that run on rusty tracks and rotted wooden frames aren't believed to be as safe as they used to be 40,
(prHWY.com) August 1, 2012 - Seattle, WA -- Rollercoaster safety has been a topic of great discussion amongst politicians, parents and park owners. The old steel carts that run on rusty tracks and rotted wooden frames aren't believed to be as safe as they used to be 40, 50 or even 60 years ago. This discovery has led many people to scramble to find a safer, better alternative. While many people came up empty handed, an inventor in the Arizona area may have come up with a solution - golf cars.
"I am an avid rollercoaster lover", said Randy Higgins. "The thought of losing my favorite hobby in the whole world due to a safety concern was heartbreaking, so I hit the lab fulltime in an effort to come up with a solution, and I did."
Randy Higgins figures that if rollercoaster builders replace the old rusted steel carts with the frame of a newer golf car it could increase the safety of the rollercoaster. Golf cars are very similar to golf carts and often used on golf courses or communities where getting around in a car is often hard.
"The key is to change out the old carts with something new", explained Higgins. "There were several alternatives but they just looked out of place or didn't have the flexibility to move around like I would like them to have had. It wasn't
until I tried a golf car that it really just all came together."
The golf cars that Randy Higgins used are built with extra cushioning protection around the doors and frame. This extra cushioning is used to absorb the impact that any body parts might have if they were to accidently hit the area or if the cart were to stop completely or unexpectedly. In addition to extra cushioning, these cars feature seatbelts that hold the coaster lovers into place and keep them from falling out.
"These cars really do increase safety", said Higgins. "The question now is will park owners go through the expense of replacing the old coasters or do we have to wait for something to happen to someone."
Randy Higgins plans on traveling the nation in an effort to raise awareness about these new rollercoaster safety measures. He believes by presenting his findings directly to the theme parks himself he could force them to change their mind.
"Old rollercoasters aren't dead", said Higgins. "With these new improvements the old coasters are still around but they just have a few improvements that make them better and safer!"
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