All Onewheel self-balancing electrical skateboards have been recalled worldwide after not less than 4 deaths and several other accidents have been reported amongst individuals using them.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled 300,000 skateboards offered in America, warning they will cease balancing a rider if the boards’ limits are exceeded, risking critical crashes.
Future Motion, the US-based producer of Onewheel, has obtained dozens of incident experiences involving the boards, the CPSC stated.
They embrace 4 deaths between 2019 and 2021 and critical accidents resembling “traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper-body fractures, lower-body fractures and ligament damage”.
The CPSC stated the deaths resulted from head trauma, and in not less than three of the instances the riders weren’t sporting helmets.
Future Motion stated it strongly encourages “all riders to always wear a helmet and other protective gear while riding”.
Pic: AP
The CPSC stated individuals who personal a Onewheel electrical skateboard ought to cease utilizing it instantly.
The watchdog and producer stated prospects might obtain a refund of $100 (£83) in-store credit score after disposing of the product.
The recall impacts the entire electrical boards – together with Onewheel, Onewheel+, Onewheel+ XR, Onewheel Pint, Onewheel Pint X and Onewheel GT – offered on-line and thru unbiased retailers from January 2014 to September this yr.
A brand new security alert characteristic to handle the crash hazard referred to as “haptic buzz” can be out there by way of a firmware replace for Onewheel GT, Pint X, Pint and XR boards within the coming weeks, Future Motion’s Onewheel staff stated.
Riders can examine their board’s eligibility and study extra about putting in the replace with Onewheel’s app on Future Motion’s web site.
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“You should not use Onewheels that are not updated or that are not eligible for the firmware update,” the Onewheel staff wrote on its web site, whereas additionally urging all riders to put on helmets and different protecting gear.
It added: “Rider safety is our top priority and is critical to the long-term success of the sport.”
The CPSC had warned shoppers to cease utilizing Onewheel electrical skateboards final November, pointing to experiences of loss of life and critical accidents, however on the time the CPSC stated Future Motion “refused to agree to an acceptable recall of the product”.
In its announcement, Future Motion’s Onewheel staff stated the recall replace was “the culmination of months of work with the CPSC”.
Sky News has contacted Future Motion for remark.
Content Source: information.sky.com