The General Assembly passed a measure this week that will examine whether the state needs to regulate aerial amusement devices. The measure comes a month after a fatal zip line accident at Glade Valley's Camp Cheerio in Alleghany County.
Neal O'Briant, spokesperson for the , said his department does regulate carnival rides, like carousels and roller coasters, but the exempts non-motorized aerial amusement devices, like zip lines, from oversight.
"This sets up a study so that we will look to see whether regulations are necessary for zip lines, and we make our recommendations," O'Briant said. "The General Assembly will take those recommendations and decide what to do with them."
calls for an inventory of zip lines in the state and local ordinances, along with a list of reported zip line accidents and an analysis of similar laws in other states. O'Briant said the Department of Labor has until February 1 to present its study to the legislature.
