Everything here got replaced with super safe stuff in the late 90s/early 2000s, but recently the new new stuff going in seems to be getting more dangerous again!
A park just went in nearby and it's got a bridge of swinging pendulum things that you could easily fall off, all suspended about 2m off the ground. There's bark underneath but still, you could easily break your arm falling off it and it's prety much designed to tip you off. 15 years ago I feel like they'd be 30cm off the ground max.
I've got no problem with the new equipment, I think it's cool that they're being less super-safe (within reasonable limits). Didn't mean to imply I thought it was bad.
The other user's comment about healthcare costs doesn't apply here because I'm not in the US and we have free public healthcare.
Generally I agree, but one problem is that most families can't easily absorb the cost of a trip to the emergency, X-RAYs, and a cast. It may be a good lesson, but it's also an expensive one.
Children tend to like some element of risk. If you try to remove all risk from play equipment children will use it in weird ways that are sometimes far riskier than if you just give them something a bit scary.
My local park had a recent rebuild, and there's some stuff up really high (over 4 meters), but it's all enclosed. And there's a 3 meter high crow's nest, but it's surrounded by netting.
They've got really good at building mostly safe but still exciting equipment.
Latest thinking is that a broken arm for kids is within acceptable limits for learning about risk. It's the fatal injuries from boring old teeter totters that's been nixed.
A park just went in nearby and it's got a bridge of swinging pendulum things that you could easily fall off, all suspended about 2m off the ground. There's bark underneath but still, you could easily break your arm falling off it and it's prety much designed to tip you off. 15 years ago I feel like they'd be 30cm off the ground max.