Several recent accidents at U.S. amusement parks have left some Canadian parents wondering just how safe rides are for their kids.

According to safety consultant Tom Jones, an independent contractor for the Pacific National Exhibition and Playland in Vancouver, regulations vary depending where you are, but oversight is much more consistent north of the border.

Every province has inspectors responsible for overseeing ride safety, Jones said, but there are about a half-dozen U.S. states with no amusement park regulations at all.

“They have no one looking at rides, they don’t have any insurance requirements, while across Canada they do a lot of things right,” Jones told CTV News.

Safety legislation does vary from province to province, however, as it does from state to state. In B.C., rides are closely regulated by the provincial safety authority, which conducted more than 350 assessments last year alone.

Rides at the PNE and Playland are also inspected every morning by three different groups: the ride operations crew, the ride maintenance crew and an independent consultant.

“If you’re going to ride amusement park rides, Canada is a great place to do that,” PNE spokeswoman Laura Ballance said.

One of the most shocking recent ride accidents happened in Kansas, where a 10-year-old boy died on a waterslide at Schlitterbahn Waterpark.

But that state is known for its light regulation of amusement parks, and while annual inspections are required for permanent rides, they can be conducted by private inspectors who don’t work for the government.

Jones said generally speaking, amusement park rides are like cars: if they’re properly maintained, the people inside will be safe.

“If you take care of your car, your car will take care of you. You’ll arrive safely, it doesn’t break down, you don’t get a flat tire, and it’s the same thing with these amusement rides,” he said.

One piece of advice Jones has for parents concerned about keeping their children safe: never try to skirt height restrictions, which are designed for everyone’s protection.

“If it says you have to be 48 inches tall to run the ride, don’t put your kid up on his tip-toes if he’s 47-and-a-half,” he said.

With files from CTV Vancouver’s Scott Hurst and The Associated Press