safety issues

Bungee jumping was banned in France after three deaths in 1989. The Australian government declared a hiatus after an accident in 1990, and the summer of 1992 saw a few accidents in the United States that were given major exposure by the media and caused several state governments to get involved. But the activity is clearly basically safe. All accidents can be traced to human error as related to improper attachment, mismatch between jumper and cord, total height of jump available, misunderstanding or miscalculation of the physics involved, and other lapses. This view is shared by Carl Finocchiaro, a registered professional engineer who operates Sky Tower Engineering Inc. and has been professionally involved in this sport for several years. He is a charter member of the North American Bungee Association and is the original and incumbent chairman of its safety committee. He has stated, "I have investigated many accidents and can confidently conclude that all are caused by human error and not faulty equipment."

Minor injuries such as skin burn, which is caused by gripping the cord, occur when jumpers act contrary to instructions. Some jumpers reported getting slapped in the face by the cord. But serious injury inflicted by the cord, such as strangulation, appears not to happen. This can be explained by a combination of factors, including:

1. the cord's minimal torsional stiffness

2. some pendulum motion, which tends to keep the cord away from the jumper

3. the fact that any entanglement will occur when the cord is slack, and will be

gradually and gently unwrapped and forgiven as the cord develops elongation

and associated low tensile force.

No modern-day jump site has seen any serious entanglement, and it is noteworthy that many participants enjoy somersaulting during the free fall without any detrimental effects.

Some daredevilish embellishments may tempt the adventurous participants. "Slingshotting" (from the ground up), "sandbagging" (jumping with extra weight), and "bodydipping" (over water) are examples. Extreme care and proper application of the physics involved are vitally important in these challenges.