The consumer hoverboard has had a bit of a rough time. The boards started taking off to much fanfare last year, but soon after rumors of fires and explosions began. Now, they're being investigated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
According to the commission, officials are looking into fires that started and involved hoverboards, which are also often called smart boards or self-balancing boards, as well as exploring possible design issues that might contribute to inexperienced rider's falling from the boards.
The main issue with these exploding hoverboards is reportedly due to faulty lithium ion batteries, which are unstable enough to spontaneously combust without warning. Because of the number of incidents involving hoverboards, a number of them have been banned from things like airplanes, colleges and even in some cities.
So far, the CPSC has reportedly not been too happy with its findings. In fact, Chairman Elliot Kaye told "responsible large-volume online sellers in particular to stop selling these products until we have more certainty regarding their safety." He also praised Amazon for issuing refunds to customers who purchased hoverboards that malfunctioned.
The CPSC also offered a number of other tips to customers who might be dealing with a faulty product, telling them to keep a fire extinguisher nearby, charge them away from combustible materials, put on a helmet and pads before riding, and, finally, do not ride your hoverboard near a road.
Safety is the top priority, and it seems as though being safe means not riding a hoverboard. The CPSC will continue its investigation.
Consumers can report fires or falls to the CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.
Via: Digital Trends
