Six Flags to add seat belts to roller coasters after Georgia rider’s death
Six Flags is adding seat belts to Goliath and other roller coasters with similar lap restraints after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died when he was ejected from the Georgia ride. The change follows concerns about the restraints and comes as officials investigate how the fatal incident occurred.
Goliath and eight other Bolliger & Mabillard coasters remain closed across the United States and Canada. Six Flags has not said which rides will receive belts or when the closed rides will reopen; the company says it has brought in independent engineers and inspectors to review safety procedures. SeaWorld Orlando’s Mako, which uses a similar restraint, reopened after a weeklong precautionary closure.
In short
- Six Flags plans to add seat belts to coasters with similar restraints.
- Nine rides remain closed while investigations and safety reviews continue.
- The company has not announced a reopening timetable.
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The case for
Adding seat belts could provide an extra layer of restraint on coasters with similar lap bars, potentially reducing the risk of a rider being ejected while the fatal incident is investigated. A precautionary pause and independent safety reviews may also reassure visitors and help operators identify whether broader changes are needed.
The case against
The cause of the death has not yet been established, so fitting belts across similar rides before the investigation is complete may address the wrong risk or create new safety and operational questions. Keeping multiple coasters closed and changing restraints without clear findings could also impose costs and disruption, so decisions should be guided by engineering reviews and evidence about each ride.
Explained simply
Goliath is a large roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, near Atlanta. It is made by the Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard, whose rides operate at theme parks across North America.
On some coasters, riders are held in place by a lap bar that comes down across their legs. Seat belts can provide an additional restraint, though the design and safety checks for each ride vary.
Six Flags is a major amusement park company, and ride safety is overseen by a mix of park operators and government regulators. Investigators examine how accidents happen, while engineers assess whether equipment or procedures need to change.