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CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

cpsc.gov

341–350 of 415 posts

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Created a new account to warn everyone to be more aware around street corners. I once tried to catch a train so I rode a scooter on the sidewalk which I normally don't. Seeing no cars, I didn't slow too much at a street corner, and ran into someone. Luckily the top speed on the scooter was 15mph and I slowed to probably 13mph, but still, the force was too much and the person failed pretty hard. I swear to never do th…

> the person failed pretty hard How did they “fail” when you plowed right into them?

I'm pretty sure anon334455 meant "fell" not "failed".

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Created a new account to warn everyone to be more aware around street corners. I once tried to catch a train so I rode a scooter on the sidewalk which I normally don't. Seeing no cars, I didn't slow too much at a street corner, and ran into someone. Luckily the top speed on the scooter was 15mph and I slowed to probably 13mph, but still, the force was too much and the person failed pretty hard. I swear to never do th…

Of course the type of person to ride a scooter on the sidewalk and hit someone will spin it as a lesson to others. It’s too bad you weren’t sued so you could learn to accept so e responsibility.

If anon334455 didn't want to leave a comment, anon334455 didn't have to.

What's the point of anon334455 commenting except to warn others to be careful?

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is ignored so often, it is scary. I have been longboarding pretty frequently and extensively up until 2 years ago. I've had my fair share of crashes and plenty of scars to serve as a reminder, but generally I always was a pretty safe and relatively skilled rider. But I also had multiple fun but stupidly risky experiences on my longboard, but no experiences comes close to the fear I felt when joining my friend on…

I see a lot of people with no business in traffic commuting on bikes too. Especially with the advent of divvy or whatever your local equivalent is. Usually people with their own bikes are more than capable. For a fun observation, go to your local Harley Davidson and watch people that haven't ridden a bicycle in 20 plus years try and learn how to ride a motorcycle, with the expectation that they'll be ready to take th…

I think the same thing whenever I see those city car rentals! Grrrreat another driver who doesn't drive often enough to warrant owning a car.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#345
Vehicles like this are not actually road legal in a lot of places precisely because of the risks to their users and other traffic.

That being said, I think a recall is a bit harsh though. People falling off these things are going to have injuries and occasionally pretty severe ones resulting in death. In the same way, snow boarding is not without risk. I think you can make a strong case for that being expected and just part of the risk that you accept using these things.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#346
post #238
post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Electronic skateboards have bigger wheels then skateboard-cruiser which has bugger wheels then skateboard. Meaning the danger of pebbles is also much different.

> Electronic skateboards have bigger wheels then skateboard-cruiser which has bugger wheels then skateboard. i've powered a regular street deck with hard poly wheels, what you said is by no means any kind of guarantee. Lots of hacked together monstrosities out there.

As an old skater this monstrosity I would like to see! Why!? :D

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#347
post #23

One issue I've noticed with these new forms of electric wheeled transport (longboard, transverse and longitudinal one-wheelers) is that the people riding them often don't come from a sports background. They aren't "safe" devices exactly - it takes skill to pilot them, and when things inevitably go awry, it takes good reflexes to avoid damage. Novices to action sports often throw their arms out to catch themselves whe…

Very true. If you've never been able to cruise on a skateboard, you might not realize how much damage an unexpected pebble or sidewalk crack will do. Riding is a constant balance of scanning the pavement for inconsistencies and making corrections to mitigate them. I don't know if that's even possible at 20+ mph.

They're more stable than you think. I've ridden an eboard for around 1500km this year, and although I've taken some hard crashes (always wear protection, I lost the skin on my hands once and never again) they have been down to me overestimating my grip or underestimating the obstacle. Every time I've hit a rock I've just gone over it.

A lot of it is also the different, more forward leaning, stance you assume on an eboard.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#348
post #176
post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there something more inherent that makes an electric unicycles more dangerous, other than they make them go ridiculous speeds? I would have thought the larger wheel on an EUC made it more stable and the higher power makes it not have to nosedive. I kind of prefer e-bikes because they are well… normal.

I think it really comes down to the fact that these single wheelers don't support the operator without power. You can stand on skateboard, slow down, and come to a complete halt and it's still working as intended. On a bike you will eventually topple from one side or the other, but the way a bikes works means the rider is supported in a natural position for a long time. When the one-wheeler loses power it just nosedi…

Unfortunately electric longboards have a pretty common failure mode where they instantly and suddenly brake with full force. I've had it happen once (although i was going slow enough not to bail) and seen it many times.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is ignored so often, it is scary. I have been longboarding pretty frequently and extensively up until 2 years ago. I've had my fair share of crashes and plenty of scars to serve as a reminder, but generally I always was a pretty safe and relatively skilled rider. But I also had multiple fun but stupidly risky experiences on my longboard, but no experiences comes close to the fear I felt when joining my friend on…

I see a lot of people with no business in traffic commuting on bikes too. Especially with the advent of divvy or whatever your local equivalent is. Usually people with their own bikes are more than capable. For a fun observation, go to your local Harley Davidson and watch people that haven't ridden a bicycle in 20 plus years try and learn how to ride a motorcycle, with the expectation that they'll be ready to take th…

> I see a lot of people with no business in traffic commuting on bikes too.

Bikes should not be forced to drive in traffic anyways.

> Especially with the advent of divvy or whatever your local equivalent is.

We’ve had bike sharing like this for years at this point and it works like a charm. In fact, it’s offered by the local transportation agencies. I haven’t noticed any differences between bike sharing users and others in terms of cycling ability.

> The test is not hard either. Nothing like what our European counterparts have to go through.

I got my motorcycle license last year. When I started to take riding lessons it was the first time that I sat in a motorcycle, it took me about 5 months to get my license (here in Germany). I don’t understand how a few hours of dedicated training is seen as sufficient for safe traffic participation in the U.S.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#350
post #42
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I picked up an e-bike not too long ago and took a bit to decide between class 2 and class 3 - I didn’t have enough experience with a bike and a speedometer to gauge whether the 20mph limit on class 2 would be enough. Having ridden around for a while now, yeah, absolutely agree - anything over ~15-20mph is above my comfort zone for “able to adjust to sudden changes in the environment.” Folks who get the “class 4”s are…

A new e-bike rider who suddenly is capable of 20mph and has no experience to the contrary might assume (wrongly) that they can navigate safely at that speed. Cyclists who can maintain 20+ mph on flat ground (not at all uncommon!) will have many more riding hours under their belts, and the commensurate handling skills and instincts.

And we have still had one of those cyclists (on a traditional road bike) with all of those riding hours, handling skills and instincts, kill an elderly pedestrian on a mixed-use trail around here by maintaining that 20+mph.

I'm starting to think e-bikes that go that fast should use traffic lanes intended for cars and motorcycles, not mixed-use trails intended for bicycles and pedestrians.

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