An Introduction to Bungee Jumping
Bungee jumping is one of the most extreme sports that people take part in worldwide. The first attempt at this extreme sport was in 1979 when a 'dangerous sports' team from England devised the bungee device that is still in use today. The first bungee jump was made successfully from the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
In 1986 a man named A.J. Hackett did his first jump in New Zealand. He went on to jump off a number of important buildings including the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Not long after this, bungee jumping really came into its own as an extreme sport and is now a popular activity throughout the world for extreme sports lovers. But how safe really is it? And what are the odds of dying in a bungee jumping accident?
Bungee Cords
Due to the high risk element associated with the sport, chemists and physicists are constantly striving to make improvements in the make up of bungee cord. The bungee cord that is used today is predominantly made up of rubber and synthetic materials. When creating the equipment, the height and weight of different people are taken into account in order to ensure survival. Different cords are used for different weighted people to ensure maximum safety. It is up to scientists to make sure they use a medium between flexible and stiff in order to let the extreme sportsman enjoy the sport and keep him alive.
Safety
Before even thinking about doing a bungee jump 99.9% of people will want to be completely assured that they will be safe from harm. Statistics show that there is only a two in one million chance of dying from this sport, making it pretty safe especially when compared to other extreme sports like scuba diving and rock climbing. Adding to this, it may (or may not) be reassuring to know that almost all accidents that have happened have not occurred due to the actual bungee, but due to the operators not attaching the cord to the person or the building correctly. The producers of bungee cords are more than efficient at their job.
Perceptions
When compared to other sports it is not uncommon for many people to believe bungee jumping is more dangerous. Take sky diving for instance - due to the high numbers of 'ordinary' people that take part in this sport, many people believe it is relatively safe. It is a generally safe sport but when compared to bungee jumping the odds of dying are much higher. The same can be said for parachute jumping and scuba diving. If you've thought about doing a bungee jump, why not research it further? The odds of dying are very small!
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