Safety concerns over the hoverboard, a popular recreational transportation device that despite its name doesn’t hover but rather rolls forward and back like a sideways skate board, have prompted an investigation by federal product safety regulators.
Explosions and fires are the main worry. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says it has counted 22 hoverboard fires in 17 states.
One fire occurred at a kiosk at a Houston-area mall, temporarily closing the shopping center.
Another reportedly occurred in a South Carolina home where two teens had received hoverboards for Christmas. One teen had just finished charging his board when the batteries combusted and flew about 20 feet across the living room, lighting a chair on fire and burning the carpet.
An Augusta, Ga., fire department also issued a warning about potential hoverboard fire dangers. The department said in a news release that they responded to a fire at a house on Christmas Day.
A resident had placed the self-balancing scooter outside. The device was heavily burned on the side that holds the charger. Inside the home, firefighters found black burn marks on two walls and the floor of the dining room.
The hoverboard, which was one of the most popular gifts this holiday season, has also been a ticket to the emergency room for some. The CPSC says it has received dozens of reports of hoverboard-related injuries across the country.
One Houston-area hospital reported treating 14 hoverboard injuries between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Doctors at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital started keeping count after they began seeing more and more patients who had hurt themselves on the devices.
Doctors say hoverboard riders should wear the same gear and take the same precautions as rollerbladers or skateboarders.
“They get on these hoverboards without any protective gear whatsoever,” said Dr. David Wong of Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, an emergency room doctor who also has his own hoverboard. “They should wear wrist guards, helmets, elbow guards and knee pads.”
Spokesmen for Houston Methodist hospitals and Ben Taub Hospital in Houston also reported a handful of injuries, the Houston Chronicle reported.
According to the CPSC, some of the injuries have been serious, including concussions, fractures, contusions/abrasions and internal organ injuries.
In a statement issued on the safety of hoverboards, CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye voiced his concern that there were no safety standards in place for the recreational device.
“Strong safety standards protect consumers,” Kaye said. “Retailers should always be asking their suppliers if there is an applicable safety standard in place before agreeing to sell those products.
“The absence of any standard should cause retailers to require extra proof of sound design, manufacturing and quality control processes.”
The Associate Press contributed to this article.
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