Trampoline Park Injuries Are 'Like Getting Hit With A Hammer,' Researcher Says
(CBS News) -- A Virginia engineer who has spent years researching the designs of trampoline parks is going public with his findings for the first time. He says the way many trampolines are bound together in these parks can create an unsafe transfer of energy – a possible explanation for some of the nearly 18,000 emergency room visits from trampoline park injuries in 2017.
Dr. Pete Pidcoe told CBS News' Meg Oliver that he's been testing trampoline parks for about six years. The biomechanical engineer and university professor tests trampolines found at trampoline parks and compares them to gymnastic trampolines.
"We found there is energy transferred between trampoline beds," Pidcoe said. "It's really one big trampoline."
He said it's dangerous because that makes "the system unpredictable."
"The trampoline surface is changing height. Have you ever stepped for a step that isn't there? Picture having that happen on a trampoline," he said.
