U.S. Government Says Hoverboards Are Unsafe

The hoverboard became the must-have item of the 2015 holidays, but with several consumers becoming seriously injured due to technical issues with the mobility device, the U.S. government has declared the hoverboard “unsafe.”

In a letter sent out earlier today by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the organization puts in notice all retailers, distributors and manufactures of hoverboards to make sure their products are safe by now certifying every device through the independent organization UL, known as the leading global safety science organization. According to the letter written by Robert J. Howell, the acting director states, “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.”

In December of 2015, we reported on the negative backlash that a few of the hoverboard-makers were receiving. The one in question was the Swagway brand, which was sued by a man in New York who claimed his self-balancing board burst into flames and damaged his home. Since the incident, even more consumers have stepped forward and spoken on the dangers of hoverboards with several airlines even banning the product.

While the hoverboard remains a hot product in the tech market, with the new standards placed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission a lot of the brands producing the mobile devices may eventually have to fold due to the strict rules. Stay tuned with further updates regarding the new laws on mobile devices.

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