Children love the speed and thrill of amusement and theme park rides and so do I! At the same time, many of us worry about the wild and fun theme parks. Are they safe for your child or should you keep your children from them? These questions plague parents, especially when they see news reports of people being injured or worse at these parks.

Safety is extremely important to those who run theme parks or amusement parks. If they aren’t safe, they can’t open. If they don’t open, they can’t make money. It’s as simple as that. So, for their benefit, as well as for those patrons who will pay to come into their parks, safety is of the utmost importance.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that accidents won’t or don’t happen. In fact, according to the Consumer and Product Safety Commission, there over 30,000 accidents at theme parks each year that requires trips to the emergency room. If this is the case, it’s no wonder parents are concerned about whether to take their children to theme parks or not.

What can you expect when you do go visit a wild and fun theme park? Is there something you can do to help ensure the safety of your child on the theme park rides?

First and foremost, you should expect that any theme park you visit will have thoroughly trained employees to safely operate the rides. You can also expect that the employees are trained in first aid and CPR. You should get an honest answer when questioning employees about their safety record; however, they may ask that you go to the park office to get the information.

What can you do, as a parent, to make sure your child is safe? Here are some tips that might help you do just that:

* If there are safety rules posted, be sure that everyone in your family follows the rules. The parks post height and age limits for a reason; don’t try to circumvent them. Your child’s safety is so much more important than a ride.

* Ride on the rides with your child. Don’t let them ride alone. You can remind them to keep their hands in the ride, stay seated until the ride stops, and see that they are properly restrained.

* If you can, keep small children toward the center of the rides. They may not like the view from their seat, but oftentimes the center of the ride is the safest. If the ride only has two seats, again, put them toward the center of the ride, away from the door.

* Don’t expect older children to be mature enough to watch younger children. While an older teenager may be mature enough to watch a seven-year-old, anyone younger than seven would be best served by being with an adult.

Remember, accidents don’t always happen at theme parks because of equipment or ride failure. Often accidents happen because we’re not being careful, not following posted safety rules, or because we go places we shouldn’t go. Safety is important to those that own and operate wild and fun theme parks. Are they safe for your child? That’s a decision you will have to make, but you can help them to be safer.