Japan’s fastest roller coaster
It’s official: The world’s fastest-accelerating roller coaster has closed indefinitely. The Do-Dodonpa coaster at Fuji-Q Highland, a park located at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, is now closed following reports of riders injuries on the ride. The Coaster/thrill ride first opened in 2001 and was later renovated in 2017 to help it achieve a speed of 112 mph in under two seconds. Despite being open for some 20 years, no injuries had previously been reported, until the update. The theme park billed the updated coaster as the world’s fastest acceleration, hitting 112 mph in just 1.56 seconds ― or what the company called “super death” acceleration. See the video below. Rather than impact, the injury problem appears to have been the intense G-forces riders experience at the ride’s beginning. Do-Dodonpa doesn’t hit it by being slowly pulled to the ride’s high point and then dropped down a slope. Instead, right at the very start of the ride, a compressed air launch system rockets the coaster’s cars to 112 miles per hour in just 1.56 seconds, which Fuji-Q says makes it the fastest-accelerating roller coaster on the planet. The Do-Dodonpa launch sequence is said to subject the body to about 3.75 G’s. That’s not far off from the 4 G’s that fighter pilots have to endure when doing catapult launches from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Considering that Do-Dodonpa riders aren’t going through any special physical conditioning or acclimation training before riding the coaster, in hindsight maybe it’s not so surprising that injuries began to happen.
According to reports, between December 2020 and August 2021, four injury incidents were reported among men and women between the ages of 30-50. All four had significant injuries, including a cervical fracture and a thoracic spine fracture. The name is an onomatopoeia referring to the sound of drums. Drum sounds are also used around the ride. The theme park made global headlines last year when it advised patrons to “please scream inside your heart” instead of out loud to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. And, as the local news outlet The Mainichi reported, park officials found in their internal investigation that at least one of the victims was seated improperly, allegedly she “might have been leaning forward during the ride,” and slammed back into the seat which could have caused her injury. The theme park also noted to the paper that it does indeed warn riders that the physical burden on riders during the ride can be high, and warns them to always sit in the proper position.
A statement released to the press from the theme park states, the roller coaster will be closed “due to a safety overhaul.” However, it adds all four of the injuries were self-reported by the riders, and “currently, the causal relationship between injuries and amusement machines has not yet been confirmed.” “We would like to offer our heartfelt sympathy and apologize for the inconvenience we caused to the related parties.”
Roller coaster thrills
2 blondes are on a roller coaster…
One says to the other, “If we turn upside down, will we fall out?”
The other says, “Of course not !! We will still be friends. “
Ron Tommer gained the reputation of as one of the best Roller Coaster designers in the world. He spent decades figuring ways to bend, scare, race and twist people at breakneck speeds. Tommer however does not ride Roller Coasters. He has a problem with motion sickness.
I’m not afraid of heights. I’m not even afraid of falling from heights.
I’m afraid hitting the ground after falling from heights.
Life with me is like a roller coaster.
There’s a weight limit.
March 26th Birthdays
1997 – Kathryn Bernardo, 1985 – Keira Knightly, 1973 – Leslie Mann, 1944 – Diana Ross
1960 – Marcus Allen, 1933 – Leonard Nimoy, 1973 – Larry Page, 1940 – James Caan