Rides can’t tell if your restraint is locked

Imagine you’re on your favorite ride. Something doesn’t seam right though. As you ascend the lift hill, you find out your restraint isn’t locked at all.
In this day and age we have become dependent on advanced safety systems on rides to keep us safe from harm. These systems control motors, tell brakes when to open and close, and prevent trains from colliding with each other on the track.
But theres one critical part to a ride operation that, to this day, the safety system doesn’t know.
And it’s a flaw that can kill the unsuspecting rider in the worst case scenario.
What if I told you; Rides can’t tell if your restraint is locked.
Lets find out why.

[@christopherfinch-mccollum1753]

This video should be on every ride operators basic training.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thank you!

[@coasterroads1]

AGREED. Every park should show this to their operations staff to explain why checking restraints should never be rushed or done half-assed

[@sarahbowman7566]

Friday evening knowledge acquired. Thank you Ryan The Ride Mechanic as always. Plus I have added "Stay off the air gates" to my lifelong "Please do not stand up" which is a tell of growing up frequenting Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Awesome!

[@zach.minton]

Newer B&M rides do have checks on the individual restraints. Fury 325 for example has contacts in the station the train sits on to relay the restraint position to the PLC and will not register locked until the ratchet and been closed at least 3 rachets down. The control system won't allow it to dispatch until every seat is far considered locked. Of course there is no active monitoring while the train is out on the course but the probability of the ratchet mechanism failing enough to open far enough to let you fall out is extremely small but it's still a possibility.

[@youtubekilledtrustedflaggi9274]

some can I think, I remember seeing the control panel of a modern b&m invert and it had every seat and restraint displayed on the screen for the operator before dispatch.

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

That's just the proximity censors which indicate whether or not the restraints are in the down position. They do not account for mechanical failure

[@dennisrichardson4187]

This happened to me about 20 years ago on Dahlonega Mine Train at SFOG. Held on and when we hit the 1st brake run in the station, we got out and walked up to the station. The looks on the ride ops faces we’re priceless.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yea if I have some padding I can get out of the millennium flyer trains from GCI

[@dennisrichardson4187]

Not just a gap, the bar never locked. It had some tension on it, so when the op did a quick two finger check it seemed locked. Once we started riding the bar could come fully open. Thankfully it’s a mine ride. We just held on. When we hit that brake run, we opened the bar fully and got out.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@dennisrichardson4187 wow

[@MythicHellebore]

Well, thanks for scaring the hell out of me!!! I always double and sometimes triple check by trying to get it to open.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I know this but it does not deter me from riding. It’s more pointed at the conclusion that the safety system knows all is not necessarily correct. Take it with a grain of salt.

[@MythicHellebore]

​@ryantheridemechanic I have had mishaps with the little secondaries that leave me cautious, but I'm not going to stop riding bring on TT2. People freak out about the lack of seatbelts 🤣🤣🤣🤣 on TT2. Like they actually believe that is what is holding them in 😂😂😂

[@probxtion1995]

its funny to me that you show xcelerator considering it technically doesn't have a minimum verify.

[@rct3fsx]

It seemed like it did when I rode it.

[@RideManDave]

@@rct3fsxXcelerator has an indicator on the lap bar, but it does not report back to the safety related control system.

[@probxtion1995]

@@rct3fsx the minimum verify is determined by the orange circle on the side of lap bar being covered by the side bars. it doesn't say on the panel if a restraint is down enough or not.

[@rct3fsx]

Ah, so I shall look closer.@@probxtion1995

[@rct3fsx]

Oh THAT'S what they were looking at.@@probxtion1995

[@ctrsind]

While everything you said was true. This is a great example of how word choice and the presentation of material can mislead an audience. In my 18 years in the industry I've never heard a ride mechanic speak with the skepticism you do in the video. A restraint designed to fail safe, and having been (in most modern rides) detected as closed by the ride system and visually and physically verified by a trained operator, is as secure as can be assumed of any mechanical device. The scenario that you paint of a restraint being found unlocked as a train ascends a lift hill, (while not zero) we can both agree is so close to zero that an occurrence as described would send shock waves through all facets of the industry resulting in design, maintenance, operational, training, and communication changes. The design, systems, and processes around thrill rides today far exceeds anything found in other machinery the public interacts with on a daily basis. Trains, Cars, Planes, Construction equipment, Elevators, Escalators, Microwaves, Drawbridges, and CT scanners are more likely to injure or kill due to a failed safety system. It would have been fair to make some version of a contextual statement, that you found agreeable based on your expertise.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

There are definitely way more throng out there to worry about, thats for sure. I do love to play in the verbiage gray area. Stems from racing. Not what the rules say but what they don’t say. Same thing here. Rides have amazing safety and redundancy built in better than most things in the world. But the hook is priceless.

[@DavidPlant1985]

B&M flyers are a bit more interesting. The seat pin moves into the arm and then hits a proximity switch. The ride will not dispatch unless all seats show that the pin has reached the proximity switch in each arm. Therefore the pin "should" be in the arm and the seat locked. Of course, this is making the assumption that something hasn't failed and the proxy switch is giving the correct reading.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Is the sensor monitored for rise and fall or Chang of state?

[@djsinkaz]

Best part of my day today! Looked forward to the latest blockbuster from Ryan!

[@Mouse730]

Great video, I enjoy your long videos but the shorter ones are great as they are more convenient to watch! I do have an observation: I have been on rides where operators do not physically (or visually) check the restraints, such as the Gerstlauer Infinity coaster The Smiler at Alton Towers, and the Gerstlauer Eurofighter Saw The Ride at Thorpe Park in the UK. I notice on both of these rides that the operator does not come and check the restraints, but on the back of each seat are some green lights - which I presume are similar to what you mentioned in the video. Would like to get your take on this!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I. Ant honestly speak for what is happening on those particular rides. Typically like the video indicator lights show you that the restraint is down past the maximum opening point. Some parks, however, have procedures written to where they do not require their operators to do physical checks that is up to them. most insurance companies, especially here in the United States, require some sort of physical check, but can be as little, as simply just touching the restraint. Ride manuals typically specify that the restraint is physically checked prior to dispatch, but those are looked at as a recommendation from the manufacturer

[@beyonddeadgirl9621]

Loving your videos, always been super interested in ride mechanics and your videos being so much joy, enthusiasm and feed my interest 🔥 keep up the quality vids, love em! 💕

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thank you very much!

[@danamarie2970]

This is one of the most of informative channels on YT. Thanks for the content, so interesting and helpful!!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Your welcome. Glad you’re enjoying it!

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Great video. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day.

[@TimFryman]

I have been enjoying your videos. Thank you for making them. 👍

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Your welcome glad you’re enjoying them.

[@deeanna8448]

The attendants run through and quickly use a few fingers to test the restraint lock. I yank on that thing HARD to check for myself! 🤣

[@Spike-sk7ql]

Great video, love the information you make available to us pleb thoosies. Kind of miss the witty humor though.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thanks. It’s not my normal video but I like to try different things.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

@@ryantheridemechanic nothing wrong with this one.

[@Paul-js1to]

Best video yet. Great job

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thank you. Did you like the intro? Wasn’t sure if it was dumb or not

[@DJWezzyK]

I personally love what Mondial Rides and KMG have done on their flats. They have a green light above or next to every individual restraints which is also a push button for the operator when the system says no, with one push of the button you can unlock the restraint, and try again. The platform operator always can see if the restraint is saying yes or no.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

The individual button is so nice. Love that.

[@MagnoliaStreetTV]

Perfectly timed dose of anxiety for the start of the new season haha! jk! Great video as always, Ryan!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thank you

[@jacobvankempen9405]

Whenever I ride roller coasters I feel that I assume that a degree of responsibility. I always give a pull and a push at any of my restraints. I know that by doing this simple thing I have insured that the systems in place should then operate fine, regardless of shifty operations. Not taking anything away from ride ops. But if i at least pull my restraint to my body and give s little push back, I can ride happy knowing at least one person did their due diligence. Definitely was able to push my restraint on lightning run to the point where it was no longer holding me. Alerted the confused operators. Switch chairs and had a great ride as the next one wouldnt budge.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

When my wife rides with me she sakes me to force hers down further trusting to get one more click. She calls it her safety click. I’m happy to help her. I always check my own as well.

[@Jenlovescoasters]

I like how you show the Morgan train restraint mechanism❤

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Thank you! Hope it’s ok.

[@Jenlovescoasters]

My train always wanted a cameo on your show!😁

[@pineappleroad]

Last week I was at a theme park where none of the rides can tell if the restraints are locked (2 rides have lap bars, and all rides have seat belts to my knoledge) One of the rides i went on, i was the only one riding, and all of the other lap bars were fully open, and the ride op didn't even check that my lap bar was properly locked (im guessing the lap bars and seat belts are mainly to make health and safety happy, as the ride was ridiculously tame, in fact i struggle to call it a ride, as it didn't even move much) (and i remember when i was on the other ride that has lap bars, as the ride came to an end, one of the other riders tried to undo their seat belt, but found they couldn't (as there was a bit of metal over the release button for the seat belt, which was there to stop you from undoing the seat belt)) EDIT: I should probably add that all of the rides are designed by the theme park itself (as they are all based around machines that are not indended to be used in that way, which explains why the ride can function even if the restraints are open And i think my statement of the rides can't tell if the restraints are locked is not 100% true, i think some, if not all, of the visitor operated rides at that theme park might actually have seat belt sensors, but the seat belt sensors would just be for a warning light, and won't prevent the equipment from operating) And i am not going to name that theme park

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Interesting story. It’s fun how some parks just build it in to their procedures to either be really strict or just ok with whatever happens. Thank you for taking the high road and not naming the park as well.

[@pineappleroad]

@@ryantheridemechanic I think with the ride where they didn't check my lap bar, the restraints were just there to ensure that riders didn't try to stand up (all the "ride" does is lift you up in the air to give you a birds eye view of the park) With the other ride with lap bars, they did check the lap bar (all i will say is this ride is as close as that park has to a roller coaster, the motion of the ride is fully controlled by the ride op though, and riders can signal that they want the ride to be terminated early) On one of the other rides, I did see one rider try to unlock the seat belts before the ride op came over to unlock them And on one of the rides (this partucilar ride can be operated by either a staff member or a visitor, and it has a max capacity of 4 riders (it technically has 5 seats including the operator seat, but a staff member must always be present)), as i was about to board the ride, one staff member said to the one that was getting on it with me about a warning message of some sort that popped up (and they said that they were going to let the maintenence person know about it)

[@markvolpe2305]

I remember years ago when I was at my home park riding on a Mack Sleighride and the T-bar restraint popped open on me when the ride started, I tried to get the restraint checker's attention, who was standing to the side, but she didn't hear or noticed the lapbar was up. Toward the end of the ride, I was able to slam the lapbar down and it finally locked, fortunately, nothing happened to me, but it was quit unnerving at the time.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

I was on the ride when an ops crew did the same thing. Accidentally unlocked the lock and dispatch. I was maintenance but in the park with my family at the time. The crew was replaced within 10min. Didn’t see them again.

[@Catalex111]

I slightly moved the lap bar, putting my things in the storage compartment and that’s the way it locked so it was not fully secured. It was a scary ride because I didn’t know if it would invert the Everest.

[@AAustinn9]

Awesome 🎉

[@shawnrw3727]

I would love to see a vid on the old school flywheel launch system. If you get bored and want some funky content to make. 😊

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Well, that one’s not on my books yet, but it’s earlier brother is on my books and I’m actually working on that very soon.

[@sharkheadism]

I prefer the weight drop system

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@sharkheadism me to.

[@liammcboyle]

I thought that with (specific example) B&M’s new attractions they have the ability to verify restraints through ausibus on the track. Some parks even have screens or displays that show each restraint and its status. From what I understand the main PLC won’t allow the train to dispatch unless the restraint is closed correctly. I would really like to know more about the ausibus.

[@spaceistheplace2293]

Restraints can only be monitored when the train is in the station, the screens can only show us whats going on with the parked train in the station. Yes the PLC will only let the train be dispatched if all the seats are past the min verify angle and the cylinders are not receiving power however once the train is dispatched though the ride cannot monitor the status of the restraints.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@spaceistheplace2293 thanks saved me some typing!! Haha!

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@space is the place said it very well. They only show down to the max height not locked.

[@rockingtr1]

The ride is designed to be locked in its normal state - rolling. Sensors or not- it doesn't matter if it's electronically monitored.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Well put. Only the station can unlock.

[@wdavem]

Yeah that's kinda what I thought! Now I actually know that.

[@classicamusementparks]

Hmmmm...this one is very interesting indeed. Makes me think maybe we should only use certain words, and avoid others when describing the states of the restraints.

[@ericcartman3385]

Here is a question.... Now....is it the same logic system that shuts down a ride when ppl either remove the seatbelt or a seatbelt system fails when going up a lift on a coaster such as Magnum XL 200 or Millennium Force... I have seen it or heard of it stopping on the lift for such a reason... And I have seen screens with seats on Valraven and Steel Vengeance and is that just position verification cause i know it wont dispatch if any red shows...???

[@ryantheridemechanic]

The seat restraint has to be far enough down to make the screen turn green. As soon as the train moves the ride is blind to the status of the restraints. When someone unbuckles on the lift it the ride operators that press lift stop.

[@sadiporter2966]

When that red allen bradley seat belt sensor didn't work as expected did they figure out how to fix the problem or redesign it or something?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

replace the whole unit at almost $500 a pop. we tried to change just the head but AB did not allow that (messed with the safety raring) but no permeant solution was delivered.

[@schagerbaantje]

I once operated a Zierer Tivoli medium on which the Control pannel was so basic and old, you could start a ride cycle while unlocking the restraints and it couldn't care less 😂

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yea. We had to tell ops not to send the major coaster with the restraints open after service bulletins came out about cracks in the bars. From operators doing it as standard practice.

[@haqqrasheed3115]

Hey Ryan, can we draw this conclusion towards the Tyre Sampson tragedy at icon park? Or was that a proximity sensor failure?

[@jacobplatt3066]

Unfortunately, the proximity sensor was adjusted out of spec so the harness was assumed down enough but in reality it wasn't. The harness was still locked, but it was therefore beyond safety limits. The proximity sensor can be determined as working when the harnesses cycle open and closed as the PLC will monitor the 1 or 0 reading back to the inputs

[@Jenlovescoasters]

He was too big to ride.

[@bigwig5567]

Are you saying that restraints can be checked by the systems in the station but can’t be checked when there on the ride course

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Yes there is no way for the train to communicate that information

[@BrennanWhoLikesRollercoa-ki1uf]

I’m curious why ops at Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point tell you to not pull the lap bar down by yourself (otherwise you have to do the loading procedure all again) and then they come and push them down. Do you know what that’s doing)

[@ryantheridemechanic]

If there is a lap belt they have to see those first. Otherwise, it’s in the plc when the lock command is given none of the down indicator prox’s can be high. So if one is down when lock is pressed the plc will throw out a trouble error.

[@bigwig5567]

There is seatbelts they want those on before the lap bar

[@batshtcrazy5293]

What about Gwazi? The restraints are shown on a screen, as to whether they are properly locked or not. The train can't leave the station till it is. I'm confused by your statements. I may have to watch this a second time, because maybe I missed something. Nevermind, I get it. Of course once you're on the track, you're screwed if the restraint stops working or comes loose. It's all very complicated, and will always be a risky endeavor. But that ain't keeping me off a coaster anytime soon. It'd be a thrilling way to die. LOL

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Not meant to scare. I still ride anything I can.

[@jpgiles1725]

When you get your restraints on, and the ride ops check your restraints. You think you're ready to go, however the restraints lift back up and you got to put your restraints back on and the ride op comes and re-checks your restraints. Could it be someone saying their restraint isn't locked? Or is there a different reason for that?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

On a Lot of rides they use a single unlock command. So you can’t unlock “row 3” so if someone didn’t put their hat away 99% of the time, they have to unlock the entire train just to let one person off and back on.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

And some times it’s a large guest they are letting out. Along the same lines.

[@CatofthePotatoes]

Ride Op here. Frequently what will happen is that someone will not open their restraint while walking through on their way to pilut loose articles in a storage bin, and get locked out of their seat, requiring it to be re opened, frequently along with an adjacent row. Another frequent occurrence is larger riders needing to be moved to a larger seat, if the ride has one, or just le off if there are not larger seats.

[@jpgiles1725]

@@CatofthePotatoes Thank you for responding. That's happened to me at many different rides at many different parks. I always wondered what the reasoning was. Appreciate it

[@jpgiles1725]

@@ryantheridemechanic Thank you for your response. I was always curious why that happened

[@michaezell4607]

Aren't restraints checked as part of the PLC programming for the ride?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Some kinda. Some rides know if the restraint is past a certain degree of angle. Others only know that the unlock mechanism is retracted.

[@Colaholiker]

First of all - who are you and what have you done to that Ryan guy who would nerd off about topics like this in an hour-long video? 🤣 Jokes aside. I am now wondering two things: First of all, there is at least one coaster in Germany (a country not exactly known for being massively unsafe, and we are talking about a big-name park here) where I have never seen (at least up until 10 years ago when some change in my life stopped me from being a regular to the park) any operator manually check the restraints or ask the guests to do so. It is well possible that there is a minimum verify, but that's likely it. Sure, it's more of a Wild Mouse style ride, but despite not being large, they have some sharp pops of forces. Makes me wonder what is going on there. And - could it be that there are actually some coasters that do verify that the restraints are locked? Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City comes to mind. The restraints close when the operator pushes a button on each unit of four rotating seats. They come down, you feel something click, and then they feel like they get pulled up again by the same mechanism that brought them down.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

So at the top, I tried scripting this one because I had a lot of exact point I feel I couldn’t hit In my normal rambling session so the script was vary big but not long there’s the time. 1- manufacturers typically state to verify the restraint is down all the way and locked. But countries where they are not run by money hungry lawyers (lawsuits in Germany are much harder and less frequent,) don’t have as many regulations for common sense things like checking a restraint when you pull it down. That’s more of a US have to pander to the bottom 0.5% 2- the restraints on time traveler, I believe our hydraulic. So if they lower on their own, they probably have a pneumatic, actuator or spring lever, pushing them down. Once they are in the down position, the lever releases and the hydraulic actuator kind of springs backwards, and then you get the feeling that it went down and then essentially pulled back up. Essentially it was a difference between the actuator releasing and the cylinder grabbing. The noise is either the mechanism releasing or a secondary engaging. I’m honestly not sure which one it is for that particular ride.

[@Colaholiker]

@@ryantheridemechanicTrue, Germany is not as sue happy as the US, which is also why seat belts are much less common here, and there are even coasters that don't have air gates. But regardless, it is normal for operators to check the restraints, even at the same park. It is just this one coaster where I don't remember seeing them ever do it. With Time Traveler, that could be one explanation. But at the same time, who knows what good idea Mack Rides had there. And with the model still being quite rare, only few people have seen the internal workings of the restraint mechanism. Maybe I should do some research if they filed patents on that stuff. There can be quite good explanations in there.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@Colaholiker absolutely. I have very little experience with MAck rides.

[@Heatherofscots]

I am kind of sorry I watched this, 😂

[@drdremd]

All hail the almighty algorithm.

[@dindog22]

are there any rides that you are too tall to ride?

[@ryantheridemechanic]

Not height wise. But there is a mad mouse at knots berry farm that my legs are too long for and can’t close the restraint. So I’ve had to walk of shame that twice.

[@dindog22]

@@ryantheridemechanic I had to take the walk of shame off of Gemini because I was too fat for the seat belt. I was talking to one of my regular customers at work the other day and he said he can't comfortably fit in a lot of rides at Cedar Point because of his height. he also said he got rejected from being a fighter pilot because he was too tall to fit in the jets. he's an airline pilot now. I guess he flew bombers instead

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@dindog22 yea I’ve heard fighter pilots have to be a certain size and it’s not big at all.

[@Davidvariance]

Coaster nerds UNITE!

[@akimboyojimbo6614]

Just stop stapling us

[@ryantheridemechanic]

What?

[@akimboyojimbo6614]

@ryantheridemechanic The ride ops, not you lol.

[@ryantheridemechanic]

@@akimboyojimbo6614 ohhhh haha! Now it makes sense.

[@Jillousa]

But cross sex hormones are okay??