Even if passengers and ride operators follow guidelines, are roller coasters safe? Each year, as amusement parks compete to draw in crowds, new, faster, and taller roller coasters are built. In 2011, Japan opened what is claimed to be the world's steepest roller coaster. Its name Takibisha means "high-flying car." And in fact, riders may feel like they are flying or actually falling as they experience its steepest drop from the dizzying height of 141 feet at an angle of 121 degrees. In Abu Dhabi, the roller coaster Formula Rossa holds the record for the fastest speed at 149 miles per hour. If this sounds fast, that's because it is. The average passenger airplane, such as Boeing 757, reaches a speed of about 160 to 180 miles per hour at takeoff