The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has deemed hoverboards “unsafe” and, in a letter released by the organization, all hoverboard manufacturers to gain UL certification before selling more boards.
“Consumers risk serious injury or death if their self-balancing scooters ignite and burn. From December 1, 2015, through February 17, 2016, CPSC received reports, from consumers in 24 states, of 52 self-balancing scooter fires resulting in over $2 million in property damage, including the destruction of two homes and an automobile,” wrote Robert J. Howell, acting director of Office of Compliance and Field Operations. “We believe that many of the reported incidents, and the related unreasonable risk of injuries and deaths associated with fires in these products, would be prevented if all such products were manufactured in compliance with the referenced voluntary safety standards.”
“Should the staff encounter such products at import, we may seek detention and/or seizure. In addition, if we encounter such products domestically, we may seek a recall of these products,” he wrote.
This means a recall could be underway of the more dangerous hoverboards and we can expect to see a general sales stop nationwide as manufacturers realized that customers do not want to die in hoverboard fires.
From the letter:
Hoverboards were a fascinating fad and a great example of a hardware meme akin to a Pet Rock or Wacky Wall Walker that forced demand to go briefly stratospheric as popularity surged. In the end, however, it looks like this year’s hot holiday present may be next year’s forgotten fire hazard.
