CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- The fatal Ohio State Fair accident has some families asking about the safety of the rides at local fairs.
“Parts do go bad,” said Eric Woodhams of Clifton Springs. “It’s just like on anything else. Unfortunately it’s a tragic event that you hope never happens, but unfortunately will happen eventually.”
Organizers at the Ontario County Fair say that families visiting should be confident that rides like this one are safe.
“Our hearts go out to those people and that family that lost that person,” said Casey Kunes, Ontario County Fair president. “So you do most everything you can to avoid that.”
Kunes says that includes a town inspection, then state inspection, then owner inspection, ensuring that the rides are checked multiple times before and during their run. He adds New York State has some of the strictest safety standards in the nation.
“I think that’s a great idea, make sure everything’s running safely,” said Jessica Woodhams of Clifton Springs. “I mean, accidents do happen, but like we said, we’ve never had a problem here.”
Organizers also say the operating company is different from the one used in Ohio, but some parents still concerned with safety say it’s about managing their children’s expectations.
“I always talk to my kids about it before we get here,” said Mishon Robinson of Geneva. “And I say, ‘Look, we’re just going to do two or three things. We’re going to look at the animals, we’ll get a treat.’ So they know what to expect.”
Those animals include those found in the improved dairy barn and at this year’s new camel attraction.
The 174th annual Ontario County Fair runs through Saturday.