In this post, what I'm not going to do is try and establish what went wrong, or why. That is a matter for the investigation which will be determining why the incident took place. There have already been numerous posts online with people saying what may have happened for the crash to occur, which I won't be a party to.
It's only natural for people to speculate, that's human nature. We want to know why an event occurs. What we do know, is that modern rides are very safe. Every moving part on a ride is checked daily, and control systems are put in place designed to keep riders safe, and trains kept apart to avoid this sort of collision. But from previous experience in dealing with incidents where there has been a failing of a system designed to prevent loss or damage of some kind, it is never down to one single decision. There will have been a collective of decisions made which led to the incident in question. We'll need to wait for the findings of the investigation to determine exactly what the cause was.
We all take for granted that going to a theme park is a fun and safe day out, where, despite the notions of fear and danger we can get from going on an extreme ride, you still expect to get off unscathed at the other end, apart from a raised heart rate and the adrenaline coursing through your body. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for 16 people, who have had to endure, and are still recovering (some with serious injuries) from an incident which, for whatever the reasons are, shouldn't have happened.
I expected a small minority of the general public to react in complete hysteria, which they did. Given the chequered history of this ride, this was perhaps understandable. The Smiler suffered a delayed opening in 2013, and within a few months of its debut, there were a couple of incidents where parts fell off the ride, and in one case, riders were struck. But this shouldn't alarm people to think that rides are dangerous. If you're naive enough to believe the drivel from some media outlets' take on the crash, then you need to take a good hard look at yourself. I'm certainly not downplaying the gravity of the situation, just not hamming it up for a cheap buck.
A sofa is dangerous if you don't use it correctly, or take liberties while using it. That's why there are adverts warning against the dangers of falling asleep with a lit cigarette while on your couch. Because as unlikely as this may seem, it could happen, but more importantly, it can be prevented. There are huge warning notices at theme park rides to help prevent potential injuries, which is also why their safety record as a whole, is so good.
Which makes The Smiler situation all the more bizarre. An incident of this magnitude on a ride, at a theme park, owned by the second largest operator of visitor attractions worldwide, which prides itself on their safety record, raises questions not only about the ride, but also questions of the management at Alton Towers itself, at all levels. Having worked in a large corporation, and seen how a management structure works (or in some cases doesn't), I wouldn't be surprised if this also had some part to play.
But this is pure speculation. Until the investigations are completed (and this will take some time), there are no definite answers. This is of course, no consolation to those who had to go through this ordeal, and are dealing with the consequences right now.
As morbid as it sounds, and while it shouldn't happen, it often takes a big incident to change culture and perception, and remind all of us of the risks involved. But we aren't put off of driving, despite over 1,700 people dying in road accidents in Britain in 2013.
And we shouldn't be put off of amusement rides despite the tragic events of Tuesday.
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