Why Do Some People Pass Out When They Ride A Roller Coaster?
Roller coaster fans were undoubtedly interested to hear that Fury 325 has reopened at Carowinds after a cracked support columns was replaced. It turns out there were other cracks on Fury 325, too, so I’m not sure how eager folks are to actually ride it. Just the thought of it might make one a bit woozy. However, with so much at stake, Carowinds conducted rigorous tests and inspections following the repairs. I’m confident the ride is safe.
Speaking of woozy, we’ve all seen videos on social media of people suddenly passing out on an amusement park ride for a few seconds only to quickly regain consciousness. There’s a prime example of this in the first video below. It’s not quite blacking out. These episodes are known as “greyouts.” Why does it happen?
According to WHTM-TV, researchers at Rice University looked into the reason why people pass out when riding a roller coaster. The short answer is positive G-forces. Because of a roller coaster’s varying drops, this can cause the body to experience a higher than normal G-Force. When this happens, a rush of blood can move away from your brain and down toward your feet, which causes a person to briefly pass out…or grey out. You can see an illustration HERE.
Other factors that can lead to someone passing out on a roller coaster include taking too many consecutive rides, dehydration, and not eating enough food. All of those things should be avoidable. Take a break between roller coaster runs. And for Pete’s sake, the funnel cake and giant overpriced sodas are there for a reason, people!
