Hoverboards don't really hover, but they do spontaneously combust. The popular new toy has recently come under the scrutiny of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC said it is investigating "dozens" of fires involving hoverboards in a statement last week.
"Many of these fires occurred indoors and could have resulted in serious injuries if not for the quick actions of consumers to extinguish the fire." The agency has described the investigation as a "priority" and is "devoting the staff time and resources necessary to find the root causes of the fires."
The CPSC states that, while parts of the hoverboards may be certified by Underwriters Laboratories and branded with a "UL" safety certification, UL does not currently have a safety designation for hoverboards as a whole.
Wired attributes the fires to the poor quality lithium batteries the hoverboards use. A significant amount of fires started by the hoverboards occurred when the device was plugged in and charging.
CPSC chairman Elliot F. Kaye, nevertheless, said that hoverboards pose other risks besides fire.
"At first glance, it is easy to believe the risk of falling off a hoverboard is an obvious one and to dismiss those injuries as user inexperience or error. However, I am concerned, for example, that the current designs of these products might not take fully into consideration the different weights of different users, potentially leading to the units speeding up or lurching in a manner that a user would not have reason to anticipate," Kaye said, according to Gear Junkie
It is not just one brand of hoverboard the CPSC is examining, but 13, including:
Smart Balance Wheel/One Stop Electronic Inc.
Smart Balance Wheel Scooter/Glide Boards
Hover-way Hands-Free Electric/Digital Gadgets LLC
Swagway Hands-Free Smart Board/Swagway LLC
Smart Balance Board/I Lean Hoverboards
E-Rover-Mini Smart Balance Scooter/LeCam Technology
Smart Balance Wheels/Kateeskitty
Hoverboard360.com
iMOTO/Keenford Limited
YOOLIKED
Smart Balance Wheel/Luxiyan and
Uwheels
E-Rover Smart Balance Wheel
