A TikTok video has revealed the scary reason why Thorpe Park's Stealth ride displays the incorrect speed outside it's entrance. Have a listen below:
The UK amusement park may have featured in an episode of hit comedy series The Inbetweeners, but a recent video of its infamous launch rollercoaster hasn't left anyone laughing.
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Now, for anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting Thorpe Park, they'll all know one of the most thrilling rides there is none other than Stealth.
According to the park's website, Stealth has the 'brake horse power of two Formula One cars' along with an eye-watering height of 205.1 feet - making it the fastest and second tallest rollercoaster in the UK.
But the viral video recently uploaded on TikTok shows a rare - but gut-wrenching - moment on Stealth which explains why the ride's entrance currently displays the incorrect speed.
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Upon reaching the peak of its 80 mph climax at the top of the hill, the car full of passengers can be seen slowly rolling backwards in the final clip of the video.
The car then zooms backwards and, thankfully, returns safely to the launch post back on the ground.
The video has amassed over two million views, more than 200,000 likes and thousands of comments, with viewers left gobsmacked by the incident.
"THIS IS STEALTH???? NO WAY MY SOUL WILL LEAVE MY BODY," one user wrote.
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Another said: "The roll back made my heart die," while a third joked: "Rollback is just a bonus section of this rollercoaster."
So, what does this have to do with the incorrect speed displayed at the ride's entrance?
Well, as the TikTok creator explained, when Stealth first opened back in 2006, it launched from 0-80 mph in 2.3 seconds - which is what is displayed at the entrance.
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However, thanks to a series of reported rollbacks due to the speed not being fast enough to push the cars over the hill, the launch speed was increased to 0-80 mph in 1.8 seconds, which is confirmed on Thorpe Park's website.
When questioned on the safety of rollbacks, the video creator assured followers that "launched coasters are designed for rollbacks, normal rollercoasters are not however."
"However, it will slowly and safely hit some anti rollback breaks, and then you will be back in the station," they reassured.
While rollbacks on launch coasters are very rare, they aren't at all dangerous as theme parks make sure to have emergency brakes just after or before the launch track to prevent an accident or a collision, according to Coasterpedia.
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A spokesperson for Thorpe Park told LADbible: "At THORPE PARK Resort the safety of our guests is our number one priority. Rollbacks on Stealth are extremely rare, and the safety of our guests is not compromised at any point. Should it happen, we have an agreed and practiced process in place to ensure that the ride returns safely to the station.
"The rollback footage within this video is several years old and we would like to reassure guests that comprehensive checks, similar to that of a car MOT, are conducted twice daily, as well as servicing of attractions throughout the year to ensure our guests have a safe and enjoyable experience."
Poppy Bilderbeck