SANTA CRUZ, California — Future Motion, the maker of Onewheel electronic skateboards, has issued a recall for all models after reports of injuries and deaths related to the product.
The recall, affecting 300,000 self-balancing skateboards, comes after the US Consumer Product Safety Commission received reports of four deaths of users between 2019 and 2021, as well as numerous serious injuries. The commission warned people to immediately stop using the skateboards, citing a “crash hazard” that can result in serious injury or death.
According to the agency, the deaths were caused by head trauma, and in at least three cases, the riders were not wearing helmets. Injuries linked to the skateboards included traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, body fractures, and ligament damage.
Initially, Future Motion resisted implementing a recall when the Consumer Product Safety Commission first advised customers to stop using the skateboards in November. However, the company is now cooperating with the recall and plans to roll out a firmware update to address the safety issues. The update, which will be available in a few weeks, will only be applicable to certain Onewheel models.
The company and the commission are urging riders to wear personal safety equipment. There have been no comments from Future Motion regarding the recall.