Thrills and spills

In the second half of this year Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will open on Yas Island. Of the 20 rides at the amusement park, the most exciting will be the GT roller coaster. In a twist on the traditional roller coaster, two carriages will race along twisting parallel tracks to the finish line. Each is a replica of a Ferrari F430 Spider. Roller coasters have come a long way since the classic wooden Cyclone at New York's Coney Island, built in 1927. They are made of steel now and have reached dizzying heights. The Mega, Giga and Strata roller coasters range from 94 to 139 metres tall.

The GT roller coaster will be among the fastest in the world. But that's not the end of the story. In the future another roller coaster on Yas Island, with a Formula 1 theme, will claim the world title. And are they safe? An American study revealed that the average person has a one in 1.5 billion chance of being killed on a ride. The injury rate is higher for children's wagons, golf and folding lawn chairs.