Hoverboard Safety Alert
All across the United States, hoverboards were the go-to holiday
gift this year. The
self-propelled, self-balancing scooters literally flew off the store
shelves at big box
retailers like Walmart and Target, and were one of the biggest sellers
on
Amazon.com. Then, less than two weeks before Christmas, the U.S.
Consumer
Product Safety Commission issued a statement warning consumers that
many of the
hoverboards being sold in the U.S. were unsafe.
Hoverboard Safety
The issues with the scooters were not minor. In addition to hundreds of
reports from
emergency rooms across the nation of serious injuries due to falls, the
CPSC received
dozens of complaints from consumers that the devices were
exploding and catching
The problem stems from the devices’ lithium-ion batteries, which have a
well-
documented tendency to explode. In 2005 and 2006, millions of Sony-
made lithium-
ion batteries in laptop computers were recalled when several hundred
of them caught
fire. Last year, the electric car manufacturer Tesla was forced to do
a remote software
upgrade on thousands of its model S luxury cars when several of the cars’
batteries
caught fire. And in 2014, Boeing briefly grounded its entire fleet of
787 Dreamliners
after batteries on two of the planes blew up.
Amazon Temporarily Halts Hoverboard
In the wake of the CSPC statement, on Dec. 14, 2015, Amazon.com made
the
unprecedented decision to halt all sales of hoverbooards on its site and
offered
customers a full refund on any hoverboard purchase they had
made. The online
retailer even went so far as to urge customers to throw away the boards
rather than
return them to the company.
Several days later, Amazon.com resumed sales of the Indiana-based
Swagway scooters
after the manufacturer submitted safety data and documentation from
its legal team.
However, it continues to warn customers that all other hoverboard
brands, including
the popular scooter made by RioRand, are unsafe.
All major U.S. airlines and many international carriers have since
banned
hoverboards on all aircraft both in the passenger cabin and cargo hold.
CPSC Hoverboard Guidelines
On Dec. 16, 2015, CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye issued a statement to
the public
regarding the hazards of hoverboards and outlined precautions regarding
their
purchase and sale. These included:
* Buy only from reputable retailers. Avoid buying a hoverboard at a mall
kiosk, or
online from an unknown or unreliable source. “If you do not
think you could find the
seller again... that should be a warning to you not to do business
with them,” said
* Do not charge a hoverboard overnight or in a location where it is
close to anything
that can catch fire.
* Do not charge a hoverboard immediately after riding it. Allow it
to cool for at least 60
minutes before charging.
* Check the hoverboard for the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) label.
If it isn’t there,
return the product to the seller. **
* Do not ride the hoverboard in the street or on a busy sidewalk.
* Wear a helmet and safety gear, including wrist, knee and elbow pads
when riding
Mr. Kaye also urged the U.S. to adopt safety standards for hoverboard use.
**According to U.S. Customs Enforcement and Protection,
thousands of products
with counterfeit UL labels are smuggled into the U.S. each year, so
the presence of a
label is not a safety guarantee.
While it’s natural to be curious about new technologies, safety should
always be our
major concern. And helping you keep your family safe and protected is
what we do
best. Our trained agents are expert in all types of insurance for your home
and your
business, so let us help you design a comprehensive program that meets
your needs.
Call us at 516-292-3780 any weekday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Or, if you
prefer, request a free consultation online now.
Visit www.CarmoonGroup.com