Hoverboard Segways Catching Fire: Which Smart Self Balancing Electric Scooter Is Safe? [VIDEO]
News headlines about 360 degree swiveling hoverboard hands-free segway thingy boards catching on fire, exploding and burning down homes was the catalyst for Amazon to intervene. Following reports of the online retailer yanking select hoverboards from its site, Amazon UK is warning customers of swegway hazards.
As the BBC reports, buyers of the 2 wheel self-balancing electric scooters are being told to throw these new tech gadgets in the trash. An email to Amazon UK customers, cites "non-compliant UK plugs" and faulty cables, chargers or plugs that could result in fire or hoverboards exploding.
"We regret the inconvenience this may cause you but trust you will understand that your safety and satisfaction is our highest priority, " Amazon said in the email, promising a refund along with it.
British law prohibits hoverboards, swegways, 360 degree smart balance boards, or whatever you choose to call them from use in public. New York City announced that anyone caught riding a hoverboard on any of its roads or sidewalks will face hefty fines. Potential owners and holiday gift shopper are prompted to ask: Are hoverboards safe? The Consumers Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is working or getting a definitive answers about hoverboard safety.
"Consumers want and deserve answers about the safety of hoverboards," CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye said in a statement on the agency's official website. "I have directed agency staff to work non-stop to find the root cause of the fire hazard, how much of a risk it might present, and to provide consumers with answers as soon as possible." Engineers at the CPSC's National Product Testing and Evaluation Center engineers are currently running tests on various brands to determine which hoverboards are catching fire and why. "Our expert staff is looking particularly closely at the configuration of the battery packs and compatibility with the chargers," the CPSC says.
Amazon still has motorized gyro sensor equipped hoverboard thingies for sale from quite a few manufacturers on its site including Jetson, Hover X, Powerboard, Razor and Swagway. Some are cheap in price and some are on the more expensive end of the spectrum. Amazon purportedly asked all hoverboard sellers to provide proof that their hoverboards meet applicable safety standards. Although Swagway said that its models are quality tested for compliance, the Chappaqua Fire Department recently responded to a hoverboard fire incident that involved a Swagway.
Two of the earliest players in the "hoverboard" selling game are IO Hawk with its "Intelligent Personal Mobility Device" and PunkeeDuck with its "Personal Transportation Device". Let IO Hawk tell it and it will say it invented the two-wheeled intuitive roller boards. PhunkeeDuck will tell you in its best Maury Povich voice, "We determined that is a lie." Ever since these electronic doo-dads went viral, everyone with hoverboard technology schematics wants to set up an assembly line. Once over-mass production begins with no rules set in place, safety and quality control standards can often get overlooked.
