“Rider Responsibility” and Amusement Ride Accidents: An Observational and Consensus Study of Rider Behaviours

“Rider responsibility” regulations will oblige riders to comply with rules and safety features and to abide by the range and limits of their abilities. This study observed rider errors and analysed inspectors' reports of undesirable rider and operator behaviours. In most errors, provisions for error prevention and error capturing were ineffective, although error tolerance prevented most injury. While inspectors used a discourse of violation to describe undesirable behaviour, the observed errors were goal oriented and made sense in the rider's task or possible mental model. “Rider responsibility” obligations may not eliminate the contextual aspects of the errors resulting in deviation from the existing safety rules.