Human-factors antecedents in California amusement ride accident investigations

Abstract

Human behaviour is commonly noted as a contributing factor in amusement ride accidents, as it is in many other domains. However, the category of “human error” is generally undifferentiated in investigations, providing little guidance for developing interventions based on accumulated data. As a result, opportunities to shape behaviour through modified interface design may remain unexploited. An archival dataset of amusement ride accident investigation reports was analysed using a tool developed to both classify errors and prompt extended antecedent investigation. The study found that numerous unexploited opportunities may exist for investigation of human factors antecedents, with 58% of documented errors having unexplored follow-ups or clarification requirements suggested by the tool. Further, many of these “missing links” would point toward factors not generally considered in current investigations, particularly consideration of design features of the amusement devices that might be modified to improve the reliability of human performance, and processes of design.