(WHTM) — Roller coasters are synonymous with summer, and many people (including myself) love to ride them. The thrill and the fun that coasters create are unlike anything else in the world.

But some people think that these machines are totally unsafe and are accidents waiting to happen. But, these fears and myths that people think about roller coasters are usually false.

The odds of dying on a roller coaster are 1 in 300 million. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that there were approximately two deaths per year, attributed to roller coaster accidents.

Here are five common misconceptions about roller coasters and how they are not true.

Maintenance teams only repair coasters when they break

This one is simply not true for so many reasons. Amusement parks take special care when it comes to making sure the rides inside of them are safe.

Roller coasters need careful, methodical, and safe inspections. These inspections include walking the track, checking every bolt in a coaster train, ensuring all brakes and lift chains are in working order, and so much more.

This process can take up to four hours to complete with workers starting at 4 a.m. Once the maintenance teams conclude their inspection, the ride operations team does the inspection of the rides. After they complete their inspections, the ride can open.

But, it doesn’t stop there. Once the park closes, the ride operations team needs to complete a closing inspection of the ride once the coaster is cleared of guests. Then, after these checklists are completed, the ride is then handed over to maintenance teams so the ride can be powered down, only to be checked in a few hours by the morning maintenance crews.

Height requirements on coasters don’t mean anything

In fact, they do. According to Cavu Designwerks, height requirements exist due to the configuration of the coaster’s restraints. If a person is too small, they will not be buckled or restrained in the ride correctly. Height restrictions are usually created by the manufacturer of the attraction and are strictly enforced by parks. Putting stuff in your child’s shoes to make them taller will put your child at risk of harm. Also, screaming and causing a scene because the ride operator won’t let your child ride won’t change anything either.

Once a coaster goes over the hill, it’s out of control.

Once the coaster drops off the lift hill, it is carefully monitored throughout the ride. A roller coaster is set up into different sections, called blocks. Throughout these sections, sensors are situated at key points throughout the attraction and send back information to the ride’s computer which keeps track of where the trains are on the track. The sensors usually look like green or yellow boxes. At the end of each section is a method of stopping a train, in the case for some reason the block ahead is occupied.

Also, during opening procedures each morning, ride operators are required to do block checks. This means trains are purposely set up to check each block zone brake, to ensure the coaster is properly operating.

The single seats outside of the coaster are for display and pictures.

These are not just for photo ops. These are test seats. According to Cavu Designwerks, these are to ensure that guests can fit into the seat and securely lock the restraint prior to waiting in line for the ride. Every coaster has different restraints, so it’s always good to know if you are able to pull down the restraint and ensure proper seating on the coaster. No one wants to wait hours in line just to be turned away at the boarding platform.

When a coaster stops on a lift hill, the guests are in danger.

This is one of the most common misconceptions about roller coasters. When a coaster stops on a lift hill, it usually is because the coaster’s computer sensed a problem. Now, when a coaster stops somewhere on its course, whether it’s the lift hill, a mid-course brake run, or the reduction brakes at the end of the ride, the ride is operating the way it is supposed to. The ride is programmed to stop all motion when a supposed problem is detected.

Normally, a ride can go down for an overly sensitive sensor, a brake fin not retracting, or something minor. Restraints will not pop open at any time, and rides will not move while they are on the coaster train.

However, if the problem cannot be fixed, guests may need to be evacuated. This is done by trained park officials who will carefully take guests off the ride, by using catwalks or elevators. This is always a last resort and most of the time, the ride will start up once again within 5- 15 minutes.