Hoverboards, more commonly branded as "Swagways", have shot up in popularity over recent months. You may have seen people riding on them as you"re out-and-about - zooming past you at sometimes high-speed.
Whilst these pieces of tech may look fun to use - they"re banned in the United Kingdom. They are classed as powered devices, which are unsafe to use on roads in the UK. Now, Amazon has also claimed that they are unsafe, signified by their immediate removal from the online retailer"s website. All listings for the products, particularly Swagway, have been removed.
These issues have now prompted Amazon to immediately ban the sale of all hoverboards - as confirmed by a major manufacturer, Swagways. Swagways has iterated that it has met all of Amazon"s safety regulations, although it applauds Amazon for taking swift action, with safety being at the forefront.
Several incidents involving such devices have also been reported. Several headlines have recently reported that these hoverboards are prone to causing fire; be it from poor wiring or faulty mechanicals. Back in October, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) issued a warning that the devices can catch fire and even cause an explosion. According to the LFB, one such device was on charge in a bedroom at the time when it caught fire.
It isn"t only the UK cracking down on this futuristic tech either - the Chappaqua Fire Department in New York also issued a warning earlier this month. They say that they had to respond to a fire in a home that was caused by a Swagway. According to the fire department, if the residents weren"t home, the house could have sustained significant fire damage.Searches on Amazon now only return accessories for these devices. It is unknown if Swagways will return to Amazon anytime soon, if at all.
Source: BBC Newsbeat | Image: New York Fire Department