Orange County Computer Lawyer Blog

Minimal Risk of Brain Injury from Gravitational Forces During Roller Coaster Rides

Some medical professionals have always held that high exposure to gravitational forces when a person is riding roller coasters or other high-speed amusement park rides, could increase the risk of a Traumatic Brain Injury. A new study dispels these misconceptions proving that there is a very low risk of suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury just from riding a roller coaster.

The results of the new study have been published in a study titled While Riding Roller Coasters: Implications for Brain Injury published in the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. According to the study, earlier research has wrongly used gravitational force or G-force measurements in order to signify the risk of a Traumatic Brain Injury from riding roller coasters. However, the kind of exposure to G-forces you have from riding an amusement park ride is not that much different from the kind of exposure you have from performing normal everyday activities.

The researchers studied the potential of suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury while performing routine activities, and while riding a roller coaster. They measured 3-D head motions while a person was riding a roller coaster, was engaged in a pillow fight, and when he was involved in a car crash. They then compared this data with published data. They found that a car crash at speeds of 8.05 miles per second contributed to the highest head injury measure of 28.1, and head impact power of 3.41. In contrast, the head injury criterion measure for roller coaster rides was 4.1, and for pillow fights was 0.36.  The team is concluding that there is little risk of suffering a brain injury from simply riding a roller coaster.

Of course, California brain injury lawyers will have to warn you that this study does not consider the kind of injuries that could result during an amusement park accident, such as when a person is stuck by ride equipment, when a person falls off from the ride, or any other such accidents. Victims of such accidents are highly at risk for suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury, besides a host of other injuries. However, it’s nice for California brain injury attorneys to know that just the act of riding a roller coaster may not significantly up your chances of suffering a brain injury.