Is your kid begging for an electronic hoverboard? Of course you want your kids to be happy, and you can’t coddle them completely—some cuts and scrapes are a necessary part of any proper childhood.
But a hoverboard? Are they safe?
Well, there are very safe hoverboards available for sale now, and as long as you set proper ground rules regarding supervision and areas where they can use their hoverboard, they’ll have a great time.
The truth is, however, that electronic hoverboards up until very recently weren’t always safe and you may have heard some really horrible news stories.
Exploding Hoverboards?
The most serious accidents involving hoverboards are those incidents in which the hoverboard has literally exploded, causing serious burns. This is due to the fact that electric hoverboards are powered by lithium batteries, and low-quality lithium batteries have been notoriously problematic. For instance, you’ll likely remember the scandal involving the Samsung smartphone the Galaxy Note; the phones tended to overheat very easily, and in many instances they actually exploded. Samsung had to recall the Galaxy Note. The problem was due to the lithium batteries in the phone.
So it isn’t the hoverboard necessarily that overheats and (in the most extreme cases) explodes; it’s the lithium batteries. Nonetheless, this is a very serious concern and there have indeed been very serious and tragic accidents: a young girl in Pennsylvania, USA died when the battery in her hoverboard exploded. In the United Kingdom, a mother and daughter in Bulkington suffered serious burns due to a defective lithium battery in their hoverboard.
Fortunately, pressure from online retail giant Amazon has forced hoverboard manufacturers to drastically step up their quality control protocols in so far as lithium batteries are concerned. Thus, hoverboards dreadful news stories involving overheating and exploding hoverboards have become a thing of the past.
The London Accident
Not all of the very serious hoverboard accidents are related to overheating lithium batteries. In London, there was the case of another young girl who slammed directly into a crowded city bus and died from the injuries suffered from the impact. The girl’s parents sued Amazon, accussing the company of selling an unsafe product to kids. In this instance, the forensic investigation revealed that the likely cause of this fatal accident a faulty autobalance sensor that prevented the girl from being able to brake in time.
The impact of these prompted changes in the hoverboard industry. To their credit, Amazon ceased the sale of hoverboards on their site during the Christmas season in 2015, and this stoppage continued well into 2016. At the time, this decision was met with harsh criticism as hoverboards were one of the most sought after items during this time. Regardless, Amazon stuck to their guns and insisted that manufacturers step up their game and adhere to much more demanding safety and quality standards.
The truth of the matter is that there have been irresponsible hoverboard makers that have cut corners at the expense of safety in order to save money. These companies have made hoverboards out of sub-standard materials, and the result is a product that is extremely risky and dangerous.
The situation has improved greatly, and the problems with sensor systems and that overheat have been corrected. Nonetheless, there are still some of the older, dubious hoverboards still floating around in the marketplace. To ensure that you are only choosing from the best and the safest hoverboard for your kids, head on over to https://www.starwalkkids.com. All of the Hoverboards you’ll find here have been properly tested and vetted.
I do not like. I see all the guys who use them be so focused on going there that I’ve seen a lot of slamming against poles or people!
I don’t see the fascination with them every time I just hear someone fell and hurt themselves I think they are very dangerous.
We don’t have one. My daughter wants one, but I heard they weren’t completely safe so I haven’t bought a hoverboard. I’m not sure if we ever will or not.
Glad to see that these are safer. My boys would have a blast on a hoverboard,.
I remember hearing about all the accidents and how they used to catch fire. I remember when Amazon completely took them out from the marketplace. It’s good to hear that now hooverboards are much safer.
Can’t say I’m a fan of them. People don’t pay enough attention and they act like they own the footpath!!
I believe with any gadget like this, there should be precautions. It’s not a company’s responsibility to watch someone’s child on a motorized toy. There should always be caution with gadgets like this.
Wow this is some good info! I had no idea that this things were so dangerous. I’ve never tried one and honestly, I think that I never could. I feel like I’m going to fell or hit someone just by looking at it. lol Thank you for sharing!
XO
Candace
http://www.thebeautybeau.com
This is indeed a pretty informative post to read. I think people of all ages should read this, specially parents. It’s cool but you have to be careful.
I read so many things about these when they first came out that I made the decision not to get one for my kids.
I think hoverboards shouldn’t be used on public roads or streets, they pose a great danger to incoming traffic or even people.
I almost buying a hoverboard in Bacelona as we don’t usually find hoverboards in Singapore. Glad to learn about so many pro and cons about this facinating electronic gadget. May be we can let the kids use it in the playground and not in the busy road.
Thank goodness my son is far away from the age to get these. I would be skeptical to get it for him
When my son wanted this hoverboard as his birthday present last year, I didn’t agree to him. As a mom, we do know if it will be a safety issue for your kids or not.
This is really good to be aware of! I’ve been wary of them and am very glad my likes aren’t quite big enough to be interested!
Woah ! I never knew it is so dangerous. I could only think about falling off by losing balance. Thank you for the awareness.
I am not a fan of hover boards. They seem very dreamy but I am always afraid of injuring myself with it.
I did not know that hover boards often blew up! That’s crazy. I’m glad amazon stuck to their guns, it’s impor for big companies with influence to have morals.
I never knew it is so dangerous. We don’t have hover boards. Thank you for the awareness.