Jason Ogulnik/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
All OneWheel electronic skateboards are being recalled following reported injuries and deaths.
CNN –
All models of Onewheel electric skateboards are being recalled after manufacturer Future Motion received reports of four user deaths between 2019 and 2021 and multiple reports of serious injuries.
In the recall notice for 300,000 of the self-balancing skateboards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned people to stop using the skateboards immediately because they “may impair the rider’s balance if the boards’ limits are exceeded, resulting in the risk of an accident.” may.” in the event of serious injury or death.”
The deaths were due to head trauma, and in at least three of those cases the driver was not wearing a helmet, the agency said. Injuries related to the skateboards included traumatic brain injuries, concussions, paralysis, body fractures and ligament damage.
Santa Cruz-based Future Motion initially refused to agree to a recall in November when the Consumer Product Safety Commission first told customers to stop using the skateboards.
The agency said it “evaluated the Onewheel products and determined that they may cause the rider to be ejected from the product, which could result in serious injury or death to the rider.”
Future Motion is now cooperating with the recall and the company is rolling out a firmware update to address the safety issues using what it calls “haptic buzzing.”
“Haptic buzzing is a warning that drivers can hear and feel when they experience certain situations that could lead to an accident,” Future Motion wrote in its recall statement.
The firmware update will be released in a few weeks and is only for Onewheel GT, Pint
Future Motion and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission urged drivers to wear personal protective equipment. CNN has reached out to Future Motion for comment.