I've always said this: By far the most dangerous thing you will do in a day of going to an amusement park and riding all the coasters, is driving to the park and back.
That’s makes no sense you don’t drive 100 feet in the air but rollercoasters do so by default facts you’re statement is deluded and childish you’re an adult now most adults should be able to see rollercoasters aren’t “safe” just because you don’t always die from a drug overdose doesn’t mean it’s safe to do drugs 😂
@@samuelitooooo we need better hobbies for kids than taking them on death traps , how about a day at the beach the risk of death at a beach is less than any coaster
@@purpleperc1012 No death traps? Then ban cars. Unironically Where else do we have 40,000+ deaths from every year in the US alone and require car seats for babies (and seat belts for everyone else)?
Minor things to add that are important: Restraints: They all use two ratchets or hydraulic cylinders. If one fails, the other will keep it locked. Block zones: Operators can't override them, only maintenance and supervisors can. And they're not allowed to do so with riders onboard. Clearances: There are exceptions, coasters that were built before the modern clearance standards don't need to be updated to meet them. The Beast is a perfect example, can't put your hands up in the helix tunnels. I'd also recommend covering guide and upstop wheels. I've encountered people who think coaster trains can simply fall off the track.
@@mooshiros7053 Someone with the authority to reset block zones (maintenance or a ride operations supervisor) reset a block zone that had a valleyed train in it, without actually checking to make sure it was clear. That made the ride's computer think that block was empty, so it sent the next train, which was loaded, into it.
@@mooshiros7053 The RideOps added an extra train onto the track without the maintenance crews knowing, and that train had been sent empty. However, due to high winds, the train couldn't make it through the layout and stopped mid-course, causing the next train loaded with passengers to stop at the top of the lift. Maintenance assumed this was a computer glitch and was sent to override the block. Unfortunately, they only counted the 4 trains previously on the track and didn't bother to double check that the ride course was clear, or that the 5th train was still in the maintenance bay. They overrode the block without fully communicating with the RideOps, causing the 1st car to collide with the 5th car (the one that didn't complete the course). Coaster College has a really good video covering the whole incident if you would like to know more- ua-cam.com/video/0p1uMW7ZY38/v-deo.html
All facts but people grew up with them so they ignore the obvious danger in order for a roller coaster to be considered good it has to have an unsafe element and most of the time it’s height a safe rollercoasters wouldn’t go past 10 feet
4:21 I am by no means an expert, but I recall an explanation about "ghost trains". Basically, the sensors which track each train's position are so incredibly sensitive that sometimes, they detect a train even if there isn't one there. This is called a ghost train. This explanation states that the manual override exists to fix ghost train issues where the computer won't let a certain train enter a new block zone. The protocol is that you have to visually confirm the position of every train before doing a manual override. For the accident on The Smiler, the operators added an extra train to the track, but didn't inform maintenance. When the computer system stopped the train at the lift, maintenance visually confirmed the positions of 4 trains, and assumed that the 5th train detected on the computer was a ghost train. They were never informed that a real 5th train had been added. This is what caused the accident. This explanation further supports your point of these accidents being the fault of operators/maintenance and not the ride itself.
Ride op here, ghost trains are definitely a thing. Sometimes we need to override the system to push a train forward, which is done by a supervisor or a specifically trained ride op. I've only seen it done when guests aren't on the ride, in which it's not a big deal. If they are, it's a whole procedure involving maintenance and management and guests are usually evacuated off in an abundance of caution
I was one of the riders stuck on Flying Cobras @ Carowinds when that hyperbolic article was floating around the internet, and I can 100% say videos like this are super important. Even if you're not an enthusiast, take 5-10 mins out of your day and watch this video or Coaster Bot's restraint video if you're hesitant to ride things on a casual theme park trip. There were grown ass men crying and kids having panic attacks because they thought the restraints would fail or we were in danger. Granted - we were stuck facing down and leaning into our restraints, but videos like this would give so many people better peace of mind. Thanks for putting this video out Coastoons.
A friend of mine who works at a theme park says that for their wooden coaster they check the entire track every morning for defects before the park opens. Meaning, yes, every morning, some guys walk the entire length of the track and visually confirm that it is still safe before sending even the first train out for a test run. Made me feel a lot safer whenever I take a that bumpy ride for a spin.
I work at an amusement park as a ride operator and our maintenance team comes in very early in the morning and test all the ride in the park they also do dry cycles to make sure it’s running smooth and is operating as it should. Additionally, as a ride operator when we are sent to our rides in the morning we also have to do our safety cycles. This has to be done EVERY DAY before we can let ANYONE ride! We do make sure it’s really safe:)
On rollercoasters a block zone is a section of ride that only one train may occupy at a time. At the end of a block zone there is a method to stop the train, in case the block zone ahead is still occupied. This is the safety system that prevents rollercoaster trains from colliding with one another. - El Toro Ryan
heyyy! for a little knowledge, i'm a team lead at a cedar fair park. at 4:20 you mentioned that a ride op could just, manually reset a ride, and unfortunately thats not true :( at our parks, we're unable to manually override any sort of ride error that comes up on our panel screens. that's usually something only maintenance can do at the park i work at! in fact, most coasters built by intamin usually have something called a trouble light on our panels that will light up if there's something wrong with the ride. it physically will not let us dispatch a train from that point, and some coasters it'll even estop the ride. thanks for a super educational video, love your content!!
same with the park i work at. on one of the coasters i work we literally cant dispatch a train if anything is wrong. this could be if the winds are too strong, if a restraint isnt locked, if the exit gates are open, literally anything. we cant go unless everything is okay
roller coaster: goes 7526842965266 times without issue some dude: roller coaster: has one small incident some dude: oBvIoUsLeY designed to kill as many people as possible
Quick thing on the manual override for block systems, the ride does not allow manual overrides of block zones while the ride is operating with guests. Guests only ride in a mode usually called ‘automatic,’ where the computer is in control of a ride’s block zones. For a block zone to be manually overridden, a maintenance key has to be inserted into the control panel (which is never used or in the possession of operators, only by maintenance personnel and high level park staff), and then and only then can the trains be moved manually. So don’t worry that the 16 year old guy at controls is going to sabotage the ride and crash the trains. They couldn’t even if they wanted to :) (Also I myself am a ride operator in case you’re wondering how I know)
BTW some coaster somehow run on semi-auto mode, for some reason. Maverick for example, it will automatically dispatch 2 train simultaneously, 1 launch, 1 waiting. The problem came when waiting train launch too soon, it potentially would clogged up the second launch zone. So the operator would manually hold the 2nd train until first train cleared 2nd launch.
@@bocahdongo7769 True, but the train still cannot be dispatched *too* early, and even if the train is dispatched too early, the ride would just block check and there would be zero chance of guests being harmed.
I watched one of your videos to help me overcome my fear of roller coasters cuz i was going to cedar point in ohio today. and i loved every ride. Thanks
Thanks for introducing me into the coaster community! Because of you I now an a coaster enthusiast. Also you should review cosmic rewind (I rode it early) and it is SO COOL the best rollercoaster I have ever been on.
4:20 I believe this is because the computer can sometimes fault and think there is an extra train when there really isn’t, although I would think maintenance would do this, not the ride operator
Hi ride operator here! The reason why we would EVER push the emergency stop (over ride the system)****is if we see something or hear something that is unusual to the ride, we are trained to know what to look out for and what sounds the roller coaster usually makes. So if for any reason you hear a sound that is unusual you do know how to handle it appropriately! The other reason we would push it is because something fell into the track and it is unsafe to operate! Hopes this also helps alleviate some fear about roller coasters!!:) Edit *** I would like to clarify we can’t reset the system but we can stop the ride if we deem it is unsafe, but when we do estop the ride we have to call our maintenance team to come and reset the ride and bring you back down safely!
For those who think that over the shoulder restraints are more safe than lap bars - digest this: Many years ago, the Shuttle Loop at Walibi Belgium stalled upside down in the vertical loop. (Yes, this is one of the few cases where that actually happened). Like all Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loops had originally, the only restraint was the U-shaped lap bar. (Seat belts are so American...) Nobody, literally zero people fell out during that incident. While it must have certainly been very uncomfortable being only held by a relatively thing lap bar, and I am sure that this caused some bruises, they did their job, keeping everybody safe in their seat until they were rescued. The biggest difference (and this is something I heard Werner Stengel say in person during a talk, so it is nothing I made up bur comes from someone who certainly knows what he is talking about) is that anything that secures your upper body makes sure that you are in the best possible position for your body to handle the forces of the ride. Lap bars obviously can't do that. And to quote him again: "Once you get out of your car in the park's parking lot, the most dangerous part of the day is over."
you know lap bars are actually over the shoulders that melted in the factory by accident? when i went on a b&m hyper, the already weakened lapbar cracked and i died.
Thank you for making this. It’s infuriating how many members of the gp deem coasters “unsafe.” Like you said, they have so many safety features like sensors, restraints, and block sections.
There's a couple of points to correct. With regards to hydraulic restraints, pressure is almost always used to open the restraint rather than close it. The ones that do use power to close only use the power to do the actual movement, once the harness is in position, it becomes like any other hydraulic lock with the valve sealing off the cylinder to stop the piston moving. When it comes to releasing them, the valve opens to allow oil from the accumulator to push the harness open. If for whatever reason the harness can't be opened electrically, all hydraulic locks have a way of being manually opened, usually a tiny button or screw on the end of the valve solenoid. These manual buttons and screws should be completely inaccessable to the rider and are pretty much always impossible to operate without tools. The working fluid inside the lock is a hydraulic oil almost as thin as brake fluid rather than water. When it comes to overriding block sections, operators will never have access to the maintenance systems in order to do this. You may wonder why it may be necesary to override a block? Sometimes, a block can stay occupied after a train leaves it. This is almost always down to a slight misalignment between the train and its block sensor. This occupied block will cause the following train to stack up in the previous block and will not move until the offending block clears. We are trained to follow a very strict procedure written out by the rides manufacturer to make sure a block reset and recovery is done safely. It was a failure to follow this reset procedure which directly caused the crash on Smiler. The actual procedure varies depending on manufacturer from as simple as pressing a button to verify correct block occupation to physically opening the brake itself.
Coasters are pretty much "idiot proof" in terms of operations. You can't dispatch one if all the restraints aren't closed far enough. The operator's dispatch button won't do anything unless the enable button, at the opposite corner of the station, is held down. These automatic safety checks are only bypassed when in maintenance mode. Only supervisors and maintenance personnel have access to this, and aren't allowed to use it with riders on board.
@@KingdaToro not all are like that on one of my rides I operate I can make the restraints lock but not pressed down and it will allow the ride to start but I have to hear at least one click before going to the next row
Ride ops cannot override the block zones. Only the mechanics for that particular ride can override it. Like for the smiler: the ride ops failed to tell the mechanic during a break down that they had put on a 5th train that was occupying the zone..so, thinking it was an error and there was only 4 trains, overrode the computer system and sent the other full train into the occupied zone
I recently got hurt on Invertigo at kings island when my head got stuck forwards at the backwards part right before the loop and the forces made it impossible to pick my head up until the top of the cobra roll and my neck still hurts like hell.
@@collfr I prefer Ryans depth of knowledge more than coastoons. Ryan is a former ride op and engineer and understands coasters better than coastoons, and his vlog videos are the best theme park vlogs out there. I appreciate the difference in style though, I just find I prefer Ryan in this case.
I'm a ride operator myself and it's not even possible to override a block zone on most rides. we run the ride in auto/operation mode. This does not allow us to do anything other then run the ride. if it shuts down our maintenance team takes over. if anyone can override it, it would be maintenance. however not even maintenance can override a a block zone on our rides. So I don't get why some rides allow it. It's the dumbest thing ever. All rides should be like our park which does not allow it. I work at Silver Dollar City btw.
Agreed, came down to the comments to say the same thing. Although I don’t know where Coastoons has the idea we can just manually override block zones. Basically 100% of all rides at any park are computer regulated and can’t be overridden, except for emergency stops.
I was a ride operator fro just over 11 months at six flags fiesta texas. I got the job at 16 just like a lot of other operators. At my park for each position you would learn you had to hands on training for 4 hours then take a 45 question test and pass with a 95% accuracy. If you are to fail you will be re trained and re test. Also on the first day you had to do a 6 hour class on general safety then take a 50 question test and pass with 100% I feel like the stigma is that operators are just idiotic teenagers who don't care. The reality is that we are all highly trained and take safety extremely seriously. Yes there are operators who don't care. I you ever feel like the operator is not taking there job seriously such as not checking restraints, not keeping there eyes on the ride when there is no train in the station please ask for a manager. The reality is we also have very limited control of the ride. All that we can do is make the ride dispatch, advance, lock and unlock restraints (only if train is in the station) and open the gates. The only time I have "override" the computer was too unlock the restraints when the train was in the station after the computer did not do it automatically. Operators can also stop the ride at any time through the use of a lift stop, ride stop and e-stop. I just wanted to say all this because I feel like ride ops have this bad rap and that we just don't care when the truth is very the different. Also if you ever feel like the ride operator has no idea what they are doing ask to see there certification card.
I say this about a lot of things in life. I am more scared of human error than the machines that are being operated by another human. Almost every accident (at least all of the ones i can think of in recent time) have been caused because of HUMANS.
Operators cannot override systems manually. Maintenance has to manually override anything in the system such as block zones as errors and it’s a fairly complicated process.
I love how he says about the only way two trains could collide is if the ride operators override the system for the brake runs… Then continues to show The Smiler
you shouldn't worry too much about people still afraid of riding coasters after watching your videos about their safety because their fear just means fewer people in line in front of the rest of us
I have a physics teacher that forced everyone to go to six flags on a field trip, or they fail the class. His reasoning is because “if you paid attention in my class, you won’t be scared of coasters” and he was right
I literally watched your video on fears, I skimmed through the video. Yesterday I went to six flags, and man have I missed out. Full throttle was my first ever actual roller coaster and I loved every second of It. Imma go back like in 2 weeks and hop on X2
for a company like universal and how big and expensive their parks are, you will 100% be okay. safety is their #1 priority and they put tons of money into that, i rode it a few weeks ago and had zero issues
If you are scared to ride it don’t try to think out the ride just get on it and have fun. I rode it about a month ago and it is now my number one roller coaster.
Just go sit on those seat and mind anything later. If that scary mind come back again, just says "God knows what will come later. I'll do it anyway." or something like that IT. ALWAYS. WORK
Dude I legitimately have a super power when ever a UA-camr say somthing about two carts bumping into each otter I can sense that a picture of the smiler will be on the screen imminently
I just got over my fear of rollercoasters and it was on leviathan at canadas wonderland. After that i did Yukon striker and behemoth. I had such a blast.
yes, this is all true! I went to California's Great America and when I was in line, one person TOUCHED one of the bars of the rollercoasters when it stopped, and then the peope working there said that they needed to do a test run just to make sure it is safe.
6:15 actually fun fact about that ride, if you are 76 inches or taller, you cannot ride. It has a height limit and there are employees at the front who stop anyone that is taller than that. Only ride in the park that has a height limit which isn't even that tall like, 6'3-6'4.
Eltoro's Ryan. I see what you did there. Also nice job on Superman Escape in the thumbnail. Actually commented on a video last night of it vs Storm Runner since i've now been on both to compare the ride experiences, instead of people looking at POVs and making judgements without even riding them.
*_Disscussing the ways to prevent a collision between 2 cars & the ability to override the comuter system to send a car into an occupied area_* *_Proceeds to show footage of The Smiler._* Intentional or not (it was definatley intentional) That is SAVAGE.
Bro I remember when you had 300 subs. I was watching like airtime thrills and coaster studies then this popped up and it was interesting so i watched it. And now u got 30k. Congrats bro. It's been a ride
Thanks for the video I am deathly afraid of hights and these types of videos are helping me and i’m going to try to ride orion now ( a big step for me )
Grizzly at californias great america got a retrack recently as well, and not all wooden coasters are meticulously watched. Gold striker at cga is in much worse condition than grizzly.
given when you released this that drop tower accident was recent but its nearly redundant to state now given the fact that it was shown they ignored the safety measure in place to let the kid on the ride. safety measures even his mother came out and said "i would of rather his feelings been hurt and he couldnt get on it." that said another major safety feature im seeing is becoming a thing at amusement and theme parks is test seats. holy hell a saving grace to not only be sure before waiting that you will fit in the ride if your on the heavier side, and for people like me where my fear isnt so much the roller coaster but the fact that the ride itself puts me face to face with my acrophobia. now some rides where im super strapped and its just turns and valleys...golden, where it gets hairy for my acrophobia is when the first drop is really high and i see im going to be exposed instead of locked in place. for instance i live near six falgs great america, the wooden coasters are things i will be less scared of, x flight ill be scared but the harness looks like it locks me in place. raging bull on the other hand......why oh why the fuck couldnt they have given it shoulder restraints as well.
Magnum on the return trip(ironically you showed it) while passing the 2nd hill you can reach out and touch the supports. Also, Ghost Rider had almost all of it's track tetracked by GCI. 🥰
The python evac in the Netherlands went horribly wrong tho... Mid evac the train got loose and started going down the track while half of the people were still aboard with the restraints up. Luckily no one got hurt but it did go wrong. It can still happen, even though the odds of it happening are slim to none.
I would figure not any old ride op can override. It would have to be a supervisor and those people are usually over 18 and trained a certain number of hours on the ride systems as well as probably needing prior experience with the ride working as a lower ride op. I guess it depends on the park?
The park I worked at the individual ride supervisor doesn’t even have the key to enable manual overrides, only keys to turn the ride and control panel on. Maintenance staff and area supervisors (people who oversee several rides at once) have the keys to put the ride in manual/maintenance mode.
2:40 Well, it's hydraulic fluid... not water haha They're also more similar to gas springs than... actual hydraulic rams too. I'm just nitpickin ya. Probably more like a couple dozen than hundreds or thousands of sensors too. They're usually in pairs of 2. Before and after the start of every block zone.
Just a small comment. Whilst I do not agree that undertrained ride ops should be able to override the computer’s detections regarding block zone occupancy. It still is necessary for maintenance workers to be able to do exactly that, albeit in the form of a manual reset. I worked an Intamin for a season, and one of the most frequent problems was what was referred to as a ghost train, where the system would think a block zone was occupied whilst there was clearly no train there. So it should, for operations sake, still be doable! If only the people working these things were trained better, I bet a lot of accidents would be better prevented. I swear there are some extremely incapable individuals who get this responsibility without actually feeling any responsibility whatsoever. I do believe more prestigious park’s employees are more responsible than what I mentioned. Anyhow nice video :)
I operate at a coaster currently and for my park the only way the trains will override the block zones is with a maintance key and maintance personnel present to advance a train and sometimes even that will not let them move the train and we are forced to evacuate due to the ride most likely e-stopping itself. most commonly due to a "ghost train" cause if ANYTHING blocks those sensors the computer will e-stop itself if this happens.
I’m pretty sure that in the uk now after the smiler crash you physically can’t override block zones and the ride has to be reset and Evaced if riders are on
I swear i have a irrational fear of rollercoasters, ive overcame the fear of my hometown coaster but something like steel vengeance, millie, and probably maxx force. WHY AM I SO SCARED AA
@@terg8472 I mean it has one insane ejector moment but the the ride is kinda tame, there’s also a very nice head hopper, but yea I wouldn’t say one coaster is less safe than another but thanks.
As a ride op. Yes there is an option for to override the system to bypass the block zones on roller coasters. However the ride has to be in maintenance mode to be able to do this. Ride ops can’t access it, the only people who can, as the name suggests is maintenance. At most parks the ride can only be in this mode if no people are on it. But again outside of maintenance mode there is no way to override the block zones, so a ride op can’t do that. I honestly recommend getting a job as a ride op if you ever wanna know how roller coasters work and the safety systems.
just some input from a ride op: we have very strict regulations that we need to follow. that shit is drilled into our brain and we do everything to make sure that guests have a safe experience. we do not take safety lightly at all. we make sure to check *everything* before we dispatch and only if everything is okay can we dispatch. its not even just on coasters. its on every ride. we check every seatbelt, every lap bar/restraint, the guests themselves, everything. obviously though i cant speak for other parks. but for the one i work at, thats my experience. so from a ride op and repeating the statement of this video: you will be fine!
For every ride I’ve physically worked on, Ride ops cannot override block zones on coasters. Only maintenance workers can by physically putting the Ride into its maintenance mode.
I'm a ride operator at a major theme park we don't EVER have that option to override a train occupying a block zone the only people that can override stuff is maintenance
thankyou SOOOOO much dude ive been having trouble with roller coasters(morlly beliving saftey) and this video helped SOOOOOOO much thank you (edit) just went to seaworld gold coast au and IT WAS AMAZING this video helped me feel safe on the rides alot +10000 respect
I've always said this: By far the most dangerous thing you will do in a day of going to an amusement park and riding all the coasters, is driving to the park and back.
my mom used to say that when my friends and I would go to knotts in her car. And knotts is so tame!
We need more trains that serve parks
That’s makes no sense you don’t drive 100 feet in the air but rollercoasters do so by default facts you’re statement is deluded and childish you’re an adult now most adults should be able to see rollercoasters aren’t “safe” just because you don’t always die from a drug overdose doesn’t mean it’s safe to do drugs 😂
@@samuelitooooo we need better hobbies for kids than taking them on death traps , how about a day at the beach the risk of death at a beach is less than any coaster
@@purpleperc1012 No death traps? Then ban cars. Unironically
Where else do we have 40,000+ deaths from every year in the US alone and require car seats for babies (and seat belts for everyone else)?
Minor things to add that are important:
Restraints: They all use two ratchets or hydraulic cylinders. If one fails, the other will keep it locked.
Block zones: Operators can't override them, only maintenance and supervisors can. And they're not allowed to do so with riders onboard.
Clearances: There are exceptions, coasters that were built before the modern clearance standards don't need to be updated to meet them. The Beast is a perfect example, can't put your hands up in the helix tunnels.
I'd also recommend covering guide and upstop wheels. I've encountered people who think coaster trains can simply fall off the track.
that hydraulic thing just lifted my spirit ty
If what you said about block zones is true, how did the smiler accident happen?
@@mooshiros7053 Someone with the authority to reset block zones (maintenance or a ride operations supervisor) reset a block zone that had a valleyed train in it, without actually checking to make sure it was clear. That made the ride's computer think that block was empty, so it sent the next train, which was loaded, into it.
@@mooshiros7053 The RideOps added an extra train onto the track without the maintenance crews knowing, and that train had been sent empty. However, due to high winds, the train couldn't make it through the layout and stopped mid-course, causing the next train loaded with passengers to stop at the top of the lift. Maintenance assumed this was a computer glitch and was sent to override the block. Unfortunately, they only counted the 4 trains previously on the track and didn't bother to double check that the ride course was clear, or that the 5th train was still in the maintenance bay. They overrode the block without fully communicating with the RideOps, causing the 1st car to collide with the 5th car (the one that didn't complete the course). Coaster College has a really good video covering the whole incident if you would like to know more- ua-cam.com/video/0p1uMW7ZY38/v-deo.html
All facts but people grew up with them so they ignore the obvious danger in order for a roller coaster to be considered good it has to have an unsafe element and most of the time it’s height a safe rollercoasters wouldn’t go past 10 feet
4:21 I am by no means an expert, but I recall an explanation about "ghost trains". Basically, the sensors which track each train's position are so incredibly sensitive that sometimes, they detect a train even if there isn't one there. This is called a ghost train. This explanation states that the manual override exists to fix ghost train issues where the computer won't let a certain train enter a new block zone. The protocol is that you have to visually confirm the position of every train before doing a manual override. For the accident on The Smiler, the operators added an extra train to the track, but didn't inform maintenance. When the computer system stopped the train at the lift, maintenance visually confirmed the positions of 4 trains, and assumed that the 5th train detected on the computer was a ghost train. They were never informed that a real 5th train had been added. This is what caused the accident. This explanation further supports your point of these accidents being the fault of operators/maintenance and not the ride itself.
Ride op here, ghost trains are definitely a thing. Sometimes we need to override the system to push a train forward, which is done by a supervisor or a specifically trained ride op. I've only seen it done when guests aren't on the ride, in which it's not a big deal. If they are, it's a whole procedure involving maintenance and management and guests are usually evacuated off in an abundance of caution
@@9876JFS54321 nice to hear from an actual ride op! Good to know that overrides can only be done by a supervisor or specific operator.
Sometimes the sunset trips one of our photo eyes and we get a train on the waiting brake
This man literally gets of to block zones, no wonder he has a coaster hub shirt
i do too 🤨
It’s El Toro Ryan
I like guys
@@retrac3147 gay
@@LetMeEatDem and there’s nothing wrong with that
I was one of the riders stuck on Flying Cobras @ Carowinds when that hyperbolic article was floating around the internet, and I can 100% say videos like this are super important. Even if you're not an enthusiast, take 5-10 mins out of your day and watch this video or Coaster Bot's restraint video if you're hesitant to ride things on a casual theme park trip. There were grown ass men crying and kids having panic attacks because they thought the restraints would fail or we were in danger. Granted - we were stuck facing down and leaning into our restraints, but videos like this would give so many people better peace of mind. Thanks for putting this video out Coastoons.
yeah, that article said, “hanging upside down”, like bruh, what
Same
@@itsseriousarc8429 Ridiculous. The news is always trying to make theme parks look unsafe.
@@magnumman5597 2 free skip the line passes was worth. 15/10 would do it again.
I rode the intimidator the 7 just afew days ago I'm 15 and I thought I was gonna die
A friend of mine who works at a theme park says that for their wooden coaster they check the entire track every morning for defects before the park opens. Meaning, yes, every morning, some guys walk the entire length of the track and visually confirm that it is still safe before sending even the first train out for a test run.
Made me feel a lot safer whenever I take a that bumpy ride for a spin.
I work at an amusement park as a ride operator and our maintenance team comes in very early in the morning and test all the ride in the park they also do dry cycles to make sure it’s running smooth and is operating as it should. Additionally, as a ride operator when we are sent to our rides in the morning we also have to do our safety cycles. This has to be done EVERY DAY before we can let ANYONE ride! We do make sure it’s really safe:)
On rollercoasters a block zone is a section of ride that only one train may occupy at a time. At the end of a block zone there is a method to stop the train, in case the block zone ahead is still occupied. This is the safety system that prevents rollercoaster trains from colliding with one another. - El Toro Ryan
heyyy! for a little knowledge, i'm a team lead at a cedar fair park. at 4:20 you mentioned that a ride op could just, manually reset a ride, and unfortunately thats not true :( at our parks, we're unable to manually override any sort of ride error that comes up on our panel screens. that's usually something only maintenance can do at the park i work at! in fact, most coasters built by intamin usually have something called a trouble light on our panels that will light up if there's something wrong with the ride. it physically will not let us dispatch a train from that point, and some coasters it'll even estop the ride. thanks for a super educational video, love your content!!
@@360coasters a smaller one!
so then how did the smilier accident happen
@@wannaplaythisdavid tldr engineering throught there were less trains on the track so they cleared it.
@@wannaplaythisdavidessentially Melrlins ride ops and maintenance team are idiots that’s how
same with the park i work at. on one of the coasters i work we literally cant dispatch a train if anything is wrong. this could be if the winds are too strong, if a restraint isnt locked, if the exit gates are open, literally anything. we cant go unless everything is okay
roller coaster: goes 7526842965266 times without issue
some dude:
roller coaster: has one small incident
some dude: oBvIoUsLeY designed to kill as many people as possible
Hey, I just wanted to say that I only found your channel a few days ago and that I really enjoy your content! You make great videos! 👀
Have a nice day
Underrated Comment
Quick thing on the manual override for block systems, the ride does not allow manual overrides of block zones while the ride is operating with guests. Guests only ride in a mode usually called ‘automatic,’ where the computer is in control of a ride’s block zones. For a block zone to be manually overridden, a maintenance key has to be inserted into the control panel (which is never used or in the possession of operators, only by maintenance personnel and high level park staff), and then and only then can the trains be moved manually.
So don’t worry that the 16 year old guy at controls is going to sabotage the ride and crash the trains. They couldn’t even if they wanted to :)
(Also I myself am a ride operator in case you’re wondering how I know)
BTW some coaster somehow run on semi-auto mode, for some reason.
Maverick for example, it will automatically dispatch 2 train simultaneously, 1 launch, 1 waiting. The problem came when waiting train launch too soon, it potentially would clogged up the second launch zone. So the operator would manually hold the 2nd train until first train cleared 2nd launch.
@@bocahdongo7769 True, but the train still cannot be dispatched *too* early, and even if the train is dispatched too early, the ride would just block check and there would be zero chance of guests being harmed.
I watched one of your videos to help me overcome my fear of roller coasters cuz i was going to cedar point in ohio today. and i loved every ride. Thanks
Thanks for introducing me into the coaster community! Because of you I now an a coaster enthusiast. Also you should review cosmic rewind (I rode it early) and it is SO COOL the best rollercoaster I have ever been on.
Hey Welcome :D
You cant review a dam ride if you didn’t ride it
@@magnumman5597 that’s not true but ok
so if I haven’t rode wilderness run I can do a review and pretend how it runs
@@magnumman5597 no I am saying once he rides it sorry I kinda mis worded that
4:20 I believe this is because the computer can sometimes fault and think there is an extra train when there really isn’t, although I would think maintenance would do this, not the ride operator
Can we just take some time to appreciate how well he edits his videos?
Hi ride operator here! The reason why we would EVER push the emergency stop (over ride the system)****is if we see something or hear something that is unusual to the ride, we are trained to know what to look out for and what sounds the roller coaster usually makes. So if for any reason you hear a sound that is unusual you do know how to handle it appropriately! The other reason we would push it is because something fell into the track and it is unsafe to operate! Hopes this also helps alleviate some fear about roller coasters!!:)
Edit *** I would like to clarify we can’t reset the system but we can stop the ride if we deem it is unsafe, but when we do estop the ride we have to call our maintenance team to come and reset the ride and bring you back down safely!
For those who think that over the shoulder restraints are more safe than lap bars - digest this: Many years ago, the Shuttle Loop at Walibi Belgium stalled upside down in the vertical loop. (Yes, this is one of the few cases where that actually happened). Like all Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loops had originally, the only restraint was the U-shaped lap bar. (Seat belts are so American...)
Nobody, literally zero people fell out during that incident. While it must have certainly been very uncomfortable being only held by a relatively thing lap bar, and I am sure that this caused some bruises, they did their job, keeping everybody safe in their seat until they were rescued.
The biggest difference (and this is something I heard Werner Stengel say in person during a talk, so it is nothing I made up bur comes from someone who certainly knows what he is talking about) is that anything that secures your upper body makes sure that you are in the best possible position for your body to handle the forces of the ride. Lap bars obviously can't do that.
And to quote him again: "Once you get out of your car in the park's parking lot, the most dangerous part of the day is over."
you know lap bars are actually over the shoulders that melted in the factory by accident? when i went on a b&m hyper, the already weakened lapbar cracked and i died.
Thank you for making this. It’s infuriating how many members of the gp deem coasters “unsafe.” Like you said, they have so many safety features like sensors, restraints, and block sections.
There's a couple of points to correct.
With regards to hydraulic restraints, pressure is almost always used to open the restraint rather than close it. The ones that do use power to close only use the power to do the actual movement, once the harness is in position, it becomes like any other hydraulic lock with the valve sealing off the cylinder to stop the piston moving. When it comes to releasing them, the valve opens to allow oil from the accumulator to push the harness open.
If for whatever reason the harness can't be opened electrically, all hydraulic locks have a way of being manually opened, usually a tiny button or screw on the end of the valve solenoid. These manual buttons and screws should be completely inaccessable to the rider and are pretty much always impossible to operate without tools.
The working fluid inside the lock is a hydraulic oil almost as thin as brake fluid rather than water.
When it comes to overriding block sections, operators will never have access to the maintenance systems in order to do this.
You may wonder why it may be necesary to override a block? Sometimes, a block can stay occupied after a train leaves it. This is almost always down to a slight misalignment between the train and its block sensor. This occupied block will cause the following train to stack up in the previous block and will not move until the offending block clears.
We are trained to follow a very strict procedure written out by the rides manufacturer to make sure a block reset and recovery is done safely. It was a failure to follow this reset procedure which directly caused the crash on Smiler.
The actual procedure varies depending on manufacturer from as simple as pressing a button to verify correct block occupation to physically opening the brake itself.
That's exactly it, it's always the amateur ride operators and human error that I'm afraid of. And I say this as a person who enjoys Roller Coasters
Coasters are pretty much "idiot proof" in terms of operations. You can't dispatch one if all the restraints aren't closed far enough. The operator's dispatch button won't do anything unless the enable button, at the opposite corner of the station, is held down. These automatic safety checks are only bypassed when in maintenance mode. Only supervisors and maintenance personnel have access to this, and aren't allowed to use it with riders on board.
@@KingdaToro not all are like that on one of my rides I operate I can make the restraints lock but not pressed down and it will allow the ride to start but I have to hear at least one click before going to the next row
Anybody notice that when he talked about overriding the safety at 4:20 he showed the smiler, a coaster where a crash occurred because of an override
Yeah but the ride ops don’t have that option you need a maintenance key for that
That was MERCILESS
Ride ops cannot override the block zones. Only the mechanics for that particular ride can override it. Like for the smiler: the ride ops failed to tell the mechanic during a break down that they had put on a 5th train that was occupying the zone..so, thinking it was an error and there was only 4 trains, overrode the computer system and sent the other full train into the occupied zone
I recently got hurt on Invertigo at kings island when my head got stuck forwards at the backwards part right before the loop and the forces made it impossible to pick my head up until the top of the cobra roll and my neck still hurts like hell.
The best roller coaster channel + Amazing music taste
Eltororyan is better, but Coastoons is also very good
Ain’t no way this mf is the best
@@mcqueendies I like coastatoons style more + I also watch el Toro Ryan
@@collfr I prefer Ryans depth of knowledge more than coastoons. Ryan is a former ride op and engineer and understands coasters better than coastoons, and his vlog videos are the best theme park vlogs out there. I appreciate the difference in style though, I just find I prefer Ryan in this case.
The ride ops (at least in the US) do not have the option to override the computer, it requires a special maintenance key
I'm a ride operator myself and it's not even possible to override a block zone on most rides. we run the ride in auto/operation mode. This does not allow us to do anything other then run the ride. if it shuts down our maintenance team takes over. if anyone can override it, it would be maintenance. however not even maintenance can override a a block zone on our rides. So I don't get why some rides allow it. It's the dumbest thing ever. All rides should be like our park which does not allow it. I work at Silver Dollar City btw.
Agreed, came down to the comments to say the same thing. Although I don’t know where Coastoons has the idea we can just manually override block zones. Basically 100% of all rides at any park are computer regulated and can’t be overridden, except for emergency stops.
8:10 "Slighly themed" *giant wood fire monster in the back* (I love that part of the coaster tho)
* talks about operator error for block zones*
*shows POV of Smiler*
I see you
lol, subtly showing people it wasnt the smiler's fault. I like it
I was a ride operator fro just over 11 months at six flags fiesta texas. I got the job at 16 just like a lot of other operators. At my park for each position you would learn you had to hands on training for 4 hours then take a 45 question test and pass with a 95% accuracy. If you are to fail you will be re trained and re test. Also on the first day you had to do a 6 hour class on general safety then take a 50 question test and pass with 100% I feel like the stigma is that operators are just idiotic teenagers who don't care. The reality is that we are all highly trained and take safety extremely seriously. Yes there are operators who don't care. I you ever feel like the operator is not taking there job seriously such as not checking restraints, not keeping there eyes on the ride when there is no train in the station please ask for a manager. The reality is we also have very limited control of the ride. All that we can do is make the ride dispatch, advance, lock and unlock restraints (only if train is in the station) and open the gates. The only time I have "override" the computer was too unlock the restraints when the train was in the station after the computer did not do it automatically. Operators can also stop the ride at any time through the use of a lift stop, ride stop and e-stop. I just wanted to say all this because I feel like ride ops have this bad rap and that we just don't care when the truth is very the different. Also if you ever feel like the ride operator has no idea what they are doing ask to see there certification card.
I say this about a lot of things in life. I am more scared of human error than the machines that are being operated by another human. Almost every accident (at least all of the ones i can think of in recent time) have been caused because of HUMANS.
This is 100% true!
Operators cannot override systems manually. Maintenance has to manually override anything in the system such as block zones as errors and it’s a fairly complicated process.
yes, it requires a special key
I love how he says about the only way two trains could collide is if the ride operators override the system for the brake runs… Then continues to show The Smiler
And to this day, queue times are just a little shorter :)
you shouldn't worry too much about people still afraid of riding coasters after watching your videos about their safety because their fear just means fewer people in line in front of the rest of us
Lol so true
I love coaster studios commentary in this video especially the canceled out pop quiz
I have a physics teacher that forced everyone to go to six flags on a field trip, or they fail the class. His reasoning is because “if you paid attention in my class, you won’t be scared of coasters” and he was right
I literally watched your video on fears, I skimmed through the video. Yesterday I went to six flags, and man have I missed out. Full throttle was my first ever actual roller coaster and I loved every second of It. Imma go back like in 2 weeks and hop on X2
"Now I'm scared of bathtubs"
Bro Honestly the video you posted about getting over your fear of rollercoasters caused me to completely get over my fear
He's BACK!!!! YES
thanks, lately you are the only coaster channel that entertains me so just thanks, keep it up. :)
Great video! Hopefully people watch this and go face their fears
When the operator manually overrides the system allowing more than one train in a section on the track: smiler footage intensifies
I am going to universal Orlando and I am kinda scared to ride the velociraptor but I will probably be fine
I went a little bit ago and I was scared of velocicoaster. Just get on it, it's so much fun :D
for a company like universal and how big and expensive their parks are, you will 100% be okay. safety is their #1 priority and they put tons of money into that, i rode it a few weeks ago and had zero issues
If you are scared to ride it don’t try to think out the ride just get on it and have fun. I rode it about a month ago and it is now my number one roller coaster.
Just go sit on those seat and mind anything later. If that scary mind come back again, just says "God knows what will come later. I'll do it anyway." or something like that
IT. ALWAYS. WORK
its the best ride in the world and you have nothing to lose
Man said that "science behind the scream" sounded likea national geographic title when I thought it sound like a horror movie..
Dude I legitimately have a super power when ever a UA-camr say somthing about two carts bumping into each otter I can sense that a picture of the smiler will be on the screen imminently
The smiler is the most know example
My biggest fear has always been the train leaving the tracks.
Unlikely but still terrifying
That will never happen on any amusement park ride.
@@Bonefingers3
According to a google search it has happened multiple times
I can't think of any way really that this could happen. The wheel system is physically blocking it from leaving the track at all times
I just got over my fear of rollercoasters and it was on leviathan at canadas wonderland. After that i did Yukon striker and behemoth. I had such a blast.
Great video Coastoons! I really enjoyed it, but one thing I will say is you did spell safety wrong in the title of your video haha
yes, this is all true! I went to California's Great America and when I was in line, one person TOUCHED one of the bars of the rollercoasters when it stopped, and then the peope working there said that they needed to do a test run just to make sure it is safe.
6:15 actually fun fact about that ride, if you are 76 inches or taller, you cannot ride. It has a height limit and there are employees at the front who stop anyone that is taller than that. Only ride in the park that has a height limit which isn't even that tall like, 6'3-6'4.
Bro fr got the best music taste on coaster youtube, always got push, peggy, or brockhampton in the backgrounds of his vids
You need more followers. The work what you do for one video is respectable. Anyways. Keep up the good work!
3:20 Pov you have a phobia of flying so this makes you terribly scared
Great video and I like all the footage of Taiga! Awesome coaster
Ive been subed to you since you started your channel. You are amazing and your videos are addicting to watch! Keep up the good work!
Eltoro's Ryan. I see what you did there. Also nice job on Superman Escape in the thumbnail. Actually commented on a video last night of it vs Storm Runner since i've now been on both to compare the ride experiences, instead of people looking at POVs and making judgements without even riding them.
3:42 so no restraint at all is the best? That's nice
More airtime
@@jayminyoel7911 exactly
I can only imagine how much labor goes into keeping the beast alive. Glad they re tracked her for sure.
*_Disscussing the ways to prevent a collision between 2 cars & the ability to override the comuter system to send a car into an occupied area_*
*_Proceeds to show footage of The Smiler._*
Intentional or not (it was definatley intentional) That is SAVAGE.
Bro I remember when you had 300 subs. I was watching like airtime thrills and coaster studies then this popped up and it was interesting so i watched it. And now u got 30k. Congrats bro. It's been a ride
Ayyyy the coaster in the thumbnail is at my local park in Australia
bro really showed footage of the smiler while saying if an operator manually overrides this
Thanks for the video I am deathly afraid of hights and these types of videos are helping me and i’m going to try to ride orion now ( a big step for me )
Grizzly at californias great america got a retrack recently as well, and not all wooden coasters are meticulously watched. Gold striker at cga is in much worse condition than grizzly.
It’s always a good day when a new coastoons video comes out
given when you released this that drop tower accident was recent but its nearly redundant to state now given the fact that it was shown they ignored the safety measure in place to let the kid on the ride. safety measures even his mother came out and said "i would of rather his feelings been hurt and he couldnt get on it."
that said another major safety feature im seeing is becoming a thing at amusement and theme parks is test seats. holy hell a saving grace to not only be sure before waiting that you will fit in the ride if your on the heavier side, and for people like me where my fear isnt so much the roller coaster but the fact that the ride itself puts me face to face with my acrophobia. now some rides where im super strapped and its just turns and valleys...golden, where it gets hairy for my acrophobia is when the first drop is really high and i see im going to be exposed instead of locked in place.
for instance i live near six falgs great america, the wooden coasters are things i will be less scared of, x flight ill be scared but the harness looks like it locks me in place. raging bull on the other hand......why oh why the fuck couldnt they have given it shoulder restraints as well.
Hi kinda random but where did you get the sound effect you used at 3:46?
Magnum on the return trip(ironically you showed it) while passing the 2nd hill you can reach out and touch the supports. Also, Ghost Rider had almost all of it's track tetracked by GCI. 🥰
The python evac in the Netherlands went horribly wrong tho... Mid evac the train got loose and started going down the track while half of the people were still aboard with the restraints up. Luckily no one got hurt but it did go wrong. It can still happen, even though the odds of it happening are slim to none.
I would figure not any old ride op can override. It would have to be a supervisor and those people are usually over 18 and trained a certain number of hours on the ride systems as well as probably needing prior experience with the ride working as a lower ride op. I guess it depends on the park?
The park I worked at the individual ride supervisor doesn’t even have the key to enable manual overrides, only keys to turn the ride and control panel on. Maintenance staff and area supervisors (people who oversee several rides at once) have the keys to put the ride in manual/maintenance mode.
At least for Cedar Fair parks, ONLY maintenace can override the computer safety systems, at least when it comes to block zones
love the pusha t in the background 👍
2:40 Well, it's hydraulic fluid... not water haha They're also more similar to gas springs than... actual hydraulic rams too. I'm just nitpickin ya. Probably more like a couple dozen than hundreds or thousands of sensors too. They're usually in pairs of 2. Before and after the start of every block zone.
Just a small comment. Whilst I do not agree that undertrained ride ops should be able to override the computer’s detections regarding block zone occupancy. It still is necessary for maintenance workers to be able to do exactly that, albeit in the form of a manual reset. I worked an Intamin for a season, and one of the most frequent problems was what was referred to as a ghost train, where the system would think a block zone was occupied whilst there was clearly no train there. So it should, for operations sake, still be doable!
If only the people working these things were trained better, I bet a lot of accidents would be better prevented. I swear there are some extremely incapable individuals who get this responsibility without actually feeling any responsibility whatsoever. I do believe more prestigious park’s employees are more responsible than what I mentioned. Anyhow nice video :)
I operate at a coaster currently and for my park the only way the trains will override the block zones is with a maintance key and maintance personnel present to advance a train and sometimes even that will not let them move the train and we are forced to evacuate due to the ride most likely e-stopping itself. most commonly due to a "ghost train" cause if ANYTHING blocks those sensors the computer will e-stop itself if this happens.
I’m pretty sure that in the uk now after the smiler crash you physically can’t override block zones and the ride has to be reset and Evaced if riders are on
Just an FYI iron gwazi wasn't clearanced properly. Ride hit their hands on supports.
Another Banger By Coastoons!!!!!!
Have you talked about Six Flags Magic Mountain
lets go the best content creator on youtube uploaded
Imagane bill nye the coaster guy is real
I swear i have a irrational fear of rollercoasters, ive overcame the fear of my hometown coaster but something like steel vengeance, millie, and probably maxx force. WHY AM I SO SCARED AA
ik you know its irrational but they are probably made safer than your hometown coaster cause of how much forces are applied to the trick right?
@@terg8472 I mean it has one insane ejector moment but the the ride is kinda tame, there’s also a very nice head hopper, but yea I wouldn’t say one coaster is less safe than another but thanks.
@@CatsAreKindaCool what coaster? also it kind of has to be over-engineered so in a way its "safer" but both wont fail
To be fair, on a subconscious level, feeling in danger is what we enjoy most about riding roller coasters
Let’s go ur back baby
This guys voice is calming enough for me to ride king da ka
I thought maintenance personnel were the only people that could bypass the safety system.
Maintenance or high level park staff. Regular operators don’t have the keys to enable manual mode.
he returns
As a ride op. Yes there is an option for to override the system to bypass the block zones on roller coasters. However the ride has to be in maintenance mode to be able to do this. Ride ops can’t access it, the only people who can, as the name suggests is maintenance. At most parks the ride can only be in this mode if no people are on it. But again outside of maintenance mode there is no way to override the block zones, so a ride op can’t do that.
I honestly recommend getting a job as a ride op if you ever wanna know how roller coasters work and the safety systems.
So cool thanks for posting 😁😁😄
just some input from a ride op:
we have very strict regulations that we need to follow. that shit is drilled into our brain and we do everything to make sure that guests have a safe experience. we do not take safety lightly at all. we make sure to check *everything* before we dispatch and only if everything is okay can we dispatch. its not even just on coasters. its on every ride. we check every seatbelt, every lap bar/restraint, the guests themselves, everything. obviously though i cant speak for other parks. but for the one i work at, thats my experience.
so from a ride op and repeating the statement of this video: you will be fine!
For every ride I’ve physically worked on, Ride ops cannot override block zones on coasters. Only maintenance workers can by physically putting the Ride into its maintenance mode.
Now im not scared of rollercoasters themself but im scared i could have a heart attact on it lol
I'm a ride operator at a major theme park we don't EVER have that option to override a train occupying a block zone the only people that can override stuff is maintenance
Ummm... i didn't watch the video because im in school so idk if this was on purpose but isn't it spelled "safety"??????
You really gotta try canadas wonderland sometime, please? Maybe? Possibly? Maybe not? OK 😔
Slip slide tryna provide for me, for me… I always love the background music
I’ve been waiting on this yes
“Ratchet Restraints are the ones that go greoxbsjxkwbdj”
😂
thankyou SOOOOO much dude ive been having trouble with roller coasters(morlly beliving saftey) and this video helped SOOOOOOO much thank you
(edit) just went to seaworld gold coast au and IT WAS AMAZING this video helped me feel safe on the rides alot +10000 respect
Pantheon is not great choice for clearance example because it has a pretty low maximum height. I think its 6'4"
6'3 actually! At 6'2 I'm literally just under it lol
I’m 6’6 and can’t ride falcon’s fury at BGT whenever we go
4:40 depends on park I know Six Flags doesn’t let us based on experience. Only maintenance can, Michigan adventure begs to differ.