San Jose, California – Future Motion, the manufacturer of Onewheel electric skateboards, has initiated a full recall of all its e-skateboard models following reports linking the products to four fatalities, as stated by a federal safety agency.
The decision to recall the Onewheel electric skateboards comes after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urged Future Motion to do so in light of safety concerns raised by reported incidents. The company has been prompted to take action after incidents of deaths and injuries associated with the one-wheeled skateboards came to light.
Future Motion has acknowledged that there have been numerous incidents involving their electric skateboards, including four reported deaths spanning from 2019 to 2021. Injuries reported include traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper and lower body fractures, as well as ligament damage. The company emphasized the seriousness of the situation in a recent recall notice.
With an estimated 300,000 units of the Onewheel skateboards being recalled, Future Motion is striving to address the safety hazards posed by the one-wheel design of their products. One of the key dangers identified is the potential loss of balance for riders if the skateboard’s operational limits are exceeded, leading to a risk of serious injury or death.
The Onewheel skateboards have been implicated in four fatalities due to head trauma, with at least three of the incidents involving riders who were not wearing helmets at the time of the accidents, according to the CPSC. As a step towards enhancing safety, Future Motion is currently developing a new safety feature known as a “haptic buzz” to alert riders both audibly and physically about impending dangers of a crash.
The implementation of the updated safety feature will be prioritized based on the different Onewheel models. Owners of the Onewheel GT will have access to a firmware update within a week, while owners of the Pint X, Pint, and XR models may have to wait up to six weeks. Unfortunately, older Onewheel models, including the original Onewheel and Onewheel+, will not be eligible for the safety update.
Future Motion’s proactive measures to address safety concerns surrounding their electric skateboards highlight the importance of prioritizing consumer safety and well-being in the realm of recreational products. The company’s response underscores the significance of swift action in mitigating risks associated with potentially hazardous products in the market.