How Six Flags inspects its roller coasters: What riders should know

After the fatal incident on Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia on Oct. 12, questions about roller coaster safety have become more urgent. Six Flags has emphasized its commitment to ride safety for years, including in a blog post published just weeks before the incident detailing its inspection procedures, maintenance practices and safety oversight.

What does Six Flags say happens before a roller coaster opens to guests each day, and who is responsible for making sure rides are safe to operate?

Here’s a closer look at the company’s inspection procedures, safety oversight and maintenance practices.

What happens before a Six Flags roller coaster opens each day?

Before guests board a roller coaster at Six Flags, the ride has already gone through inspections and testing. According to the company’s official safety information, maintenance technicians and operations staff inspect rides and attractions before the park opens each day.

The company also says rides go through test cycles that simulate different aspects of normal operation.

These daily checks are part of a larger maintenance program. In a Sept. 22, 2026, blog post about ride safety, Six Flags explained that its inspection and maintenance procedures are designed to meet or exceed manufacturer requirements and industry standards.

The company also conducts additional evaluations beyond its daily inspections, including reviews by outside inspectors and corporate engineering teams.

Ride operators have responsibilities, too. Six Flags says employees receive training in attraction operations, safety procedures and emergency response. The company’s ride operator job descriptions include physically checking restraints, enforcing rider requirements and monitoring attractions during operation.

Six Flags says its procedures prioritize further evaluation whenever questions arise about whether an attraction is safe to operate.

Who oversees roller coaster safety beyond the park?

Six Flags says roller coaster safety involves more than inspections conducted by employees at individual parks. The company identifies several additional layers of oversight, including independent third-party inspection firms, insurance inspectors, state ride inspectors where applicable, and its own corporate engineering and safety professionals.

Government oversight varies by location. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), amusement ride regulations often incorporate standards developed by ASTM International’s F24 Committee on Amusement Rides and Devices. These standards address ride design, manufacturing, operation, maintenance and inspections. However, the specific inspection requirements and regulatory responsibilities depend on the state or jurisdiction where a park operates.

Six Flags’ focus on ride reliability and guest safety

Six Flags has also made ride reliability a priority in 2026. During an August earnings call, CEO John Reilly discussed increased maintenance spending and efforts to reduce attraction downtime across the company’s parks. As Attractions Magazine previously reported, Reilly emphasized that improving ride availability would not come at the expense of safety.

Guests also have a role in following park safety rules, including posted ride restrictions and instructions from operators. Six Flags updated its policy on recording devices earlier this year, allowing certain secured glasses-based cameras on eligible attractions while continuing to prohibit other types of cameras. Attractions Magazine reported on the filming policy changes and the conditions riders must meet.

These companywide policies provide context for how Six Flags approaches ride operations, but they do not establish what happened during the fatal incident on Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia. The circumstances of that incident remain under investigation.