Hoverboards are not so safe as they can spontaneously combust
(Mirror Daily, United States) – One of the most wanted presents this year were hoverboards but things didn’t turn out well so let’s talk about the hoverboard Christmas failure.
Gadgets that can entertain us represent the new generation of toys which are popular both among children and adults. One of these toys is the hoverboard, probably the most popular ‘toy’ of 2015. For those of you who happen to not be familiar with it, the hoverboard is a skateboard-like transport device on two wheels that makes the user feel and look like they are hovering over the ground, hence the name of the item.
Unfortunately, it turns out that the very popular hoverboard is not very safe. There have been many stories about this particular toy catching on fire and product and consumer safety commissions from both the U.S. and Australia have issued warnings on the product. Plus, retailers like Amazon decided to stop selling the product.
Hoverboards are not very easy to control and it might pose some problems for both adults and children. This is why, being one of the most popular Christmas gift, it was also the one which provoked the most injuries such as concussions or broken arms, not to mention bumps and bruises.
However, it looks like children have more success at handling the hoverboards than adults. One reason could be that having a lower center of gravity, the little ones can balance more easily than grownups.
This is why, in order to make sure your next trip is not going to be to the hospital, you should wear protection gear, just like with any other similar type of transportation such as bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards and so on. If you think you won’t need such things, at least make sure your kid wears a helmet as well as knee and elbow pads.
Besides having this protection, one problem still remains – there were many times when the hoverboard caught on fire. It happened when the item was being charged, as it works on lithium ion batteries, but it also spontaneously combusted while being used.
The combustion is believed to be caused by the batteries, which are known to have incinerated iPods or electric cars, so until an alternative is found for the hoverboard’s power source, we cannot know for sure how safe they really are.
But if you’re willing to take the risk, make sure you’re at least wearing a helmet and you have someone around to catch you if you fall…or at least film you.
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