HICKORY, N.C. — State safety officials inspected more than 30 carnival rides at the Hickory American Legion Fair Wednesday.
The inspections come after a dangerous month at amusement parks across the U.S. where at least five children were seriously injured or killed.
Eyewitness News anchor John Paul got an up close look at how the state makes sure rides are safe.
The inspectors will check every bolt, lightbulb and seatbelt on the rides and tag them when they're ready to go. There are spot checks throughout the fair to make sure the rides are safe.
The state inspected 6,500 rides last year.
Tommy Petty, who works for the North Carolina Department of Labor and is in charge of the state inspections, said he knows that recent accidents across the country might have some people thinking twice about amusement rides.
“It was a bad week for everyone in the amusement industry,” Petty said.
Two children fell from a Ferris wheel in Tennessee and one boy was killed on a water slide in Kansas earlier this month.
However, officials and operators said people should feel safe on North Carolina amusement rides.
“North Carolina is one of the most thorough states there are,” one ride operator said.
Petty said that other states could prevent these accidents by adopting North Carolina standards.
“The chances are a whole lot less. I would put my children, grandchildren on any of these rides,” Petty said.
Inspectors said that they don't want to the next accident to be in North Carolina.