Top 5 DEADLY Facts About Trampolines
What goes up must come down, and all too often… it comes down with consequences. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we'll be counting down our picks for the Top 5 Deadly Facts About Trampolines. Come along as we explore the very real dangers inherent to this popular piece of sporting equipment.
Special thanks to our user christo for submitting the idea on our interactive suggestion tool: WatchMojo.comsuggest
#5: They Cause a LOT of Injuries
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Though they’ve become commonplace in backyards worldwide, the widespread success of trampolines has come with a serious cost. Sure, the average consumer model is only going to run you up a few hundred dollars initially … but the risk of serious injury is high, as is the price the accompanying medical bill. Estimates vary, but annual injuries in the United States have been placed in the hundreds of thousands. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, there were almost 286,000 trampoline-based injuries treated in 2014 alone, costing in the billions. Though sprains and fractures account for the majority of them, permanent damage, including paralysis is a serious risk.
#4: Safety Nets Are Little More than a False Sense of Security
Whenever participating in an athletic activity, it’s important to take the appropriate safety precautions in order to mitigate the risks of injury. When biking you put on a helmet, when rollerblading, you wear wrist guards, when fencing… you cover your face with a mask. The problem is, such precautions can also make users reckless, instilling in them a dangerous sense of confidence. Sadly, such is the case with trampoline safety nets. Yes, these mesh structures can stop bouncers from flying off the trampoline, but they also give one the impression that they can bounce with abandon. And the problem with that is they do nothing against a common cause of injury - landing on the trampoline incorrectly.
#3: Even Professionals Can Get Hurt
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One of the things that makes trampolines so dangerous is the fact that they are treated as toys rather than athletic equipment. That being said, even when people are professionally trained and practising trampoline at the competitive level, injuries are still common. In 2016, Charlotte Drury, widely considered the top female trampoline athlete in America, saw her Olympic dreams dashed when she broke her foot during a routine practice. In 2014, Canada’s Karen Cockburn, who at the time already had three Olympic medals to her name, broke her ankle leading up to the World championships. It just goes to show… even the world’s best get hurt on trampolines.
#2: Pediatricians Are Against Them
At this point, it should be pretty clear - trampolines come with unavoidable risks. What’s perhaps most upsetting about that however, is that due to their popularity as a form of entertainment for the whole family, kids account for the majority of injuries - a staggering 90% according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The rise in popularity of backyard trampolines has essentially given birth to an injury epidemic. In fact, it’s become so problematic that the American Academy of Pediatrics has taken the position of discouraging trampoline use in children entirely, essentially stating that no amount of supervision or safety precautions can mitigate the risks to reasonable enough degree.
#1: They've Claimed Lives
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A sprain or a broken limb earned on a trampoline is certainly an unpleasant experience, but at least you’ll live to learn from your mistake. Sadly, not everyone who has an accident while bouncing is so lucky. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 11 confirmed deaths between 1990 and 1999. In 2013, a 9 year old girl died in the U.S. on a particularly windy day when the trampoline she was sitting on was lifted in the air while being carried some distance by a strong gust. Though fatal injuries are relatively uncommon, there have been enough them reported to make one think twice before jumping to unnatural heights.
