The problem is they don’t really have qualified people inspecting them regularly. They have carnies that do quick visuals, which is not a real inspection. Even if they do have in the rare case some real inspector check it after initial setup, they don’t do a full exhaustive inspection every single day.
I play the Washington State Fair, (Puyallup) and I know for a fact that the “Carnies” every morning walk the roller coaster rides inch by inch—I see it every morning when opening my booth the month of September.
Granted there are accidents—some involving deaths. Usually it is because of a missing carter-pin, or some such that has worked its way out of position. All in all ride operators take their job seriously. But I will give the caveat that some outifts might be better than others. I have seen some rag-trag broke-down units pulling onto the lot with the newest ride being a 40 year old Gravitron.
It is amazing that there are any traveling carnivals left. Was talking to the owner of one at a fair we have been doing for some 25 years and his fuel prices for the diesel generators are outtasight. Not only that, but many carnivals had rides they were paying the bank for...no season due to covid...rides go back to the bank and the carnival succumbs....sad story.