The decapitation of a 10-year-old boy on a Kansas water slide earlier this month has raised questions about the safety of the nation's amusements parks and put the industry's association on the defensive.

States currently are the primary regulators of amusement parks. However, the level of regulation varies greatly from state to state, with six states requiring no regular safety inspections of amusement park attractions, according to Insurance Journal. Kansas mandates annual inspections but allows parks to hire their own inspectors.

At least one researcher estimates that an average of 4,400 children were injured every year from 1990 to 2010 on amusement park and water park rides. However, the actual number is hard to ascertain because no agency collects data about park injuries. http://bit.ly/2bNClxP

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions maintains that injuries are rare given the number of people who visit amusement parks. In an Aug. 12 statement, CEO Paul Noland said the chance of being seriously injured on a ride is one in 16 million, or less than the chance of being struck by lightning.

The association also is resisting calls for federal regulation, which it argues would be expensive to maintain. It instead believes state regulation based on industry-suggested standards is the best course of action.

"The states need the flexibility to create and enforce laws relevant to the attractions in their state and that's what they have done," Noland said. "There is no evidence federal oversight or a national agency would improve on the already excellent safety record of the industry." http://bit.ly/2bzYtv0

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