I can certainly understand why those injured on the ride would want it to remain closed. From what I gather, the case is still being argued in the courts. Any injury like those are horrible.
But if the reports are true then the incident was caused by human error which means that the actual ride itself is safe. From what the sources I've posted above say, the ride computer detected an obstruction and applied the automated braking system. It was only after an engineer overruled that did the incident happen. Surely the engineer who restarted the ride should be the one being punished? Unless of course the Alton Towers training package was insufficient or perceived/real pressure from the management influenced his/her decision to override the safety system (in which case those processes obviously need to have been fixed which according to the sources then this has happened).
Apparently Alton Towers has had safety incidents in the past but its record on the whole is better than other theme parks according to below.
I was at Alton Towers last weekend and they were doing empty test runs on it then. Personally I think it looks like an amazing ride and you do have to think that the rides at Alton Towers do run constantly many days of the year with thousands of people using them. The odds of something going seriously wrong while you're on one must be very slim (not that it's any consolation to those who were injured).
I'd say there's a good chance this is the case. I'd be surprised if they hadn't tightened up things in general as well though. Another public incident on any big ride there would would cause massive public trust issues I'm sure.
I'd say there's a good chance this is the case. I'd be surprised if they hadn't tightened up things in general as well though. Another public incident on any big ride there would would cause massive public trust issues I'm sure.
They wouldn't have been able to reopen it if it wasn't safe.