The Dangers of Roller Coasters Are roller coasters dangerous? Yes!! Even though roller coasters can be fun they can be dangerous if the right precautions are not taken. For instance, James Thomas Hackemer an Iraq war veteran who lost both of his legs in combat went to Darien Lake Theme Park and was told that he could ride all the rides. The roller coaster that he went on held the rider in primarily with a lap bar. The only problem was that James had no lap. As the roller coaster reached a drop of 208 feet he fell out of the roller coaster to his death on the ground below (Glove). Over the year’s roller coasters have become safer. On Sunday July 19 1981 a 16-year-old girl fell from a roller coaster to her death (“U.S Roller Coaster Fatalities