Six Flags is adding seat belts to several of its roller coasters after a Georgia man’s fatal fall on a ride that relied on lap restraints to keep passengers in their seats. The safety overhaul comes less than two weeks after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Eight other Six Flags coasters with similar restraint systems remain closed across the U.S. and Canada as investigators work to determine what went wrong. Witnesses said they saw Kariem rise out of his seat and fall headfirst back into the cart before being ejected from the ride on Oct. 12. Some passengers who rode Goliath earlier that day also reported concerns about its restraints. ATTORNEY SAYS FATAL SIX FLAGS ROLLER COASTER ACCIDENT COULD RAISE BROADER SAFETY QUESTIONS AS 9 RIDES CLOSE The restraint system, manufactured by Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard, was designed to give riders the sensation of sitting on a “flying carpet” while still “guaranteeing optimum security,” according to a U.S. patent granted to the company in 2001. Now, Six Flags says it is taking additional precautions. “We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint,” Six Flags Entertainment President and CEO John Reilly said in a statement Friday. Six Flags has not said which other coasters will get seat belts or when the closed rides might reopen. COLLEGE…
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