The human limits of roller coasters

According to the statistics, you are far more likely to die by lightning strike than in a roller coaster accident.

In the UK, the odds of being killed on an amusement ride are 300 million to one, whereas the odds of being killed by lightning are 10 million to one. In the US, around 1.7 billion rides are taken by nearly 300 million people each year, and from 1994 to 2004, the country reported an average of just four deaths per year. Comparatively, an average of 39 people die each year in the US from being struck by lightning.
Thanks to safety regulations and industry compliance, roller coasters manage to maintain a fairly sound safety record despite pushing the human body to exhilarating extremes.
The most extreme
The Formula Rossa in the Abu Dhabi theme park Ferrari World is the fastest roller coaster in the world, reaching speeds of 149mph. Aided by hydraulic power, it accelerates from 0 to 62mph in two seconds. Built by the Liechtenstein manufacturer Intamin, the ride’s track was modelled after the Italian racetrack Autodromo Nazionale Monza, located north of Milan, which hosts the Formula One Italian Grand Prix motor racing championsh
ip every year.
Playing it safe
Over the centuries, roller coasters have become both more exciting and safer. The first roller coasters may have been Russian ice slides built in the late 16th Century. Compare that with today’s ultra-sophisticated, ultra-precise, carefully-engineered coasters, which are bigger, faster and more death-defying (or at least marketed that way) than ever before. Regulations have also increased dramatically – especially considering that some countries, such as the US, had no regulations at all until the 1960s.
Roller coaster regulation varies from country to country. For instance, in Singapore, the Building and Construction Authority, an agency of the federal Ministry of National Development, oversees amusement ride safety. In the US, on the other hand, the federal government only regulates rides at travelling carnivals and fairs, while state governments regulate stationary parks. Rules vary at the local level, too. Florida, home to Walt Disney World, for example, has state officials who inspect rides at theme parks with fewer than 1,000 employees, but the state relies on large parks like Disney World and Universal Studios to regulate themselves.
Coutesy: BBC Travel