BY EMILY HAYWARD

IN RECENT news the popular theme park thriller ride at Alton Towers, The Smiler, crashed leaving one of the many victims having to have her leg amputated.

The ride has since remained closed pending further investigation into the cause of the collision.

In light of this incident, the safety of the other various rides at the theme park have started to be questioned and this could potentially lead to a reduction in the number of people who visit the park.

The Smiler ride is a fundamental feature to the park; with 14 inversions it holds the world record for the highest number of inversions on a roller coaster. This naturally grants the theme park with a great deal of attraction, with many thrillseekers wanting to take on this exceptional ride.

However, with the closure of the park the following day and the ongoing problems since, could the park see a reduction in the number of visitors over the summer period?

I visited the popular UK attraction in the summer of last year and had a great time experiencing all the thrills and spills that the park had to offer. However, the enjoyable and thrilling opportunities of the park could be overshadowed by the crash, putting the potential risk of the roller coasters at higher value than the fun and thrill factors.

Personally, the collision would not deter me from revisiting the park, but I would think twice before challenging the park’s most thrilling roller coasters due to the terrible incident on The Smiler.

In the approaching summer months, the amount of visitors will highlight the full effects of the crash.

Presently, we are left to question whether this year Alton Towers will see a decrease in the number of enthusiastic riders who are willing to experience the park to the maximum.