Carnival Safety in Arizona

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Have you been to the State Fair? The Renaissance Festival in Casa Grande? Have you ever gone to any makeshift carnivals anywhere throughout the valley? If you have, then chances are great that you saw and rode on some temporary carnival rides. Have you ever wondered about the safety of these rides? Well you are not alone. According to a recent article discussing carnival ride safety in the Arizona Republic,

Arizona is one of the few states that does not require temporary amusement rides to be inspected or carry insurance, which leaves cities to decide how much or how little carnivals are regulated.

A bill pending before the Arizona legislature standardizes requirements that temporary carnival operators carry minimum liability insurance and subjects all carnival rides to periodic inspections.

At stake is whether Arizonans can count on the safety of the rides when regulations vary from city to city. Rides that continually are reassembled need to be scrutinized by inspectors who can head off accidents, industry standards recommend.

The bill has not yet passed the legislature but could serve a useful purpose by standardizing minimum safety and insurance requirements for carnival operators. What are your thoughts?