Health and safety chiefs' £110,000 report comes to stunning conclusion: Children like amusement parks

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A report for the Health and Safety Executive has found that passengers on amusement rides often stick their hands above their heads to enhance the thrill.

Another of the study's main findings is that children like to wave to their parents as they whizz round on carousels.

The report also warns that passengers risk being injured if they stick their arms or legs out of carriages or attempt to stand up.

Last night, a spokesman for the HSE denied that the report was simply a statement of the obvious.

The study was carried out by the Health and Safety Laboratory, which last week produced a £12,000 report on whether placing a towel on the bathroom floor helps to prevent slipping.

For the latest study, Passenger Behaviour on Amusement Rides, the team filmed a range of rides.

The 140-page report says: 'The most commonly observed behaviour was one and two handed waving, turning of the head/trunk and pointing.

The most common motives were communication, exhibitionism, curiosity and thrill enhancement.'

Behaviour was different depending on age and gender - young adults tended to show 'increased levels of exhibitionism and thrill enhancement' - and females were more likely to wave than males.

Researchers also spotted some 'relatively infrequent' risky behaviour which included sticking their legs out on pirate ship rides and climbing between horses on carousels.

The HSE said: 'There was a gap in knowledge about passenger behaviour and the information can be used by ride designers and operators to reduce accidents.'

In 2005 there were two deaths and 143 serious injuries on amusement rides.