What’s Being Done to Improve the Safety of Water Parks?

Water parks, those adventure parks that feature waterslides and wave pools, are gaining in popularity as summertime attractions. According to the World Waterpark Association, about 85 million people attended water parks in 2015, up from about 73 million a decade earlier. While these parks offer fun and exciting ways for children and adults alike to beat the heat, they also present a risk for injury.

A recent tragedy that resulted in the death of a 10-year-old boy at a Kansas City, KS, water park serves as a reminder that accidents can and do happen. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 4,200 people are treated at emergency rooms each year for injuries sustained on waterslides; that doesn’t take into consideration other water park-related injuries or near drownings. To find out more about the potential dangers of water parks and the steps being taken to improve their safety, read “Safety issues, statistics about water parks in the US.”