Hoverboard drama continues: may be seized or recalled

In our last post we started a discussion on recalls. The www.recalls.gov website is a great place to start if you are curious about what recalls are out there. Although the site exists, the big problem is that consumers can’t constantly be hovering on the site waiting for the next dangerous product to pop up on the screen. If you think about it, we buy tons of new products every week, from grocery items to articles of clothing to gasoline. Any product that a consumer can buy has a potential of being dangerous. There’s no way for consumers to constantly know if one of the products they bought over the last decade may eventually harm them.

Recently a huge issue has come up in regards to hoverboards. These boards, which are self-balancing scooters, were really popular over Christmas. They made it under the tree in many homes in New York and across the nation.

Unfortunately, as reported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these hoverboards have been linked to as many as 52 fires so far. The boards have caused more than $2 million in property damage. They have even destroyed two homes.

The main issue seems to be the lithium-ion batteries that are used to power the hoverboards. Apparently they may burst into flames.

Recently, new safety standards have been released regarding the hoverboards and the government says any boards that do not meet these standards may be recalled or seized. Although these products have already caused a significant amount of damage, it’s good to see that the federal government is taking action to protect its consumers.