Snowboard Shop halts sales after four deaths in US
UK stores have immediately stopped selling Onewheel electric skateboards after a recall in the US.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled all 300,000 sold electric skateboards after four people died while using them.
The commission says Onewheels present a collision hazard that could lead to serious injury or death.
The snowboard store told the BBC it would contact UK customers.
It said it would inform those who had bought Onewheels while it investigated the issue and that it had contacted the manufacturer for clarification.
The company has chosen to keep the product on its website so that it can provide a link to the product recall notice, but there is no « buy » button. Potential customers can only « inquire » about these products, and the company is responding to inquiries with information about the recall.
Last year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urged people to stop using Onewheels. at the time, some objected, saying they were safe « when following the basic safe riding principles of any skateboarding sport. »
It said there was « no reason » for people to stop using them.
Now, Future Motion is facing 31 lawsuits from people in the United States who « claim they fell because the Onewheel unexpectedly stopped or shut down, » according to a legal filing the company made in September.
The company said in the filing that no cases related to electric skateboards have been tested in court.
Dozens of reports
The recall involves all models of Onewheel electric skateboards, including the original Onewheel, as well as the Onewheel+, Onewheel+ XR, Onewheel Pint, Onewheel Pint X and Onewheel GT models.
The CPSC said it received « dozens » of reports involving the devices, including four deaths between 2019 and 2021.
The commission was also told of injuries including « traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper body fracture, lower body fracture and ligament damage. »
The CPSC said all four fatalities were the result of head trauma, and the report showed that in at least three of the accidents, the riders were not wearing helmets.
The CPSC is all for encouraging people to wear protective equipment, such as helmets and knee pads, while bicycling.
