Six Flags to Add Seatbelts on Roller Coasters After Rider’s Death

Six Flags will add seatbelts to select roller coasters across its parks, the company said on Friday, weeks after the death of a man who fell from a ride at one of its properties.

The announcement came as Six Flags contended with recent lawsuits over safety concerns.

John Reilly, the president of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, said in a statement on Friday that the company’s parks hired independent engineers and inspectors to conduct safety reviews of all rides and attractions as the additional safety measures were put in place.

“We are committed to carefully evaluating their findings and taking appropriate action to further strengthen our standards and culture of safety,” Mr. Reilly said in the statement.

Earlier this month, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was thrown from his seat and declared dead after riding Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Ga., the state’s tallest roller coaster. That ride is temporarily closed and will receive seatbelts when it reopens.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/business/six-flags-death-roller-coaster-seat-belt.html