[IP] Recall Sidetracks Segway Scooters
Recall Sidetracks Segway Scooters
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2003
The maker of the Segway Human Transporter has agreed to recall the
motorized scooters because riders have been injured falling off when its
batteries are low.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall Friday, saying
that three people had been injured. One suffered a head wound and needed
stitches.
"Under certain operating conditions, particularly when the batteries are
near the end of charge, some Segway HTs may not deliver enough power,
allowing the rider to fall," the CPSC warned. "This can happen if the rider
speeds up abruptly, encounters an obstacle, or continues to ride after
receiving a low-battery alert."
The Manchester, N.H.-based company has sold about 6,000 of the scooters so
far. The recall involves all Segway HT i167 ("i Series") models sold to
consumers. Two models sold in test markets the e167 and p133 models are
also being recalled. Customers can call 877-889-9020 for information on
getting a free upgrade.
"Riders are reminded that, even after the software upgrade, appropriate
operating techniques as described in Segway HT user materials are essential
to safety," the CPSC warned.
In June, President Bush fell off a Segway he was trying to ride.
The scooter was introduced amid great hype by inventor Dean Kamen, who has
claimed his machine will transform the way people live and work just as
surely as the automobile did when it replaced the horse and buggy.
The quiet, single-person vehicles are battery-powered, with computers and
gyroscopes that allow riders to negotiate curbs and ruts. Tests of a
heavy-duty version are under way at factories, resorts and among government
employees like postal workers and police officers.
The manufacturer waged a lobbying campaign at statehouses around the
country, winning over lawmakers who see the Segway as a remarkable tool to
ease congestion and more.
Up until recently, all but three states barred motorized vehicles from
sidewalks.
Now the path is clearer. Twenty-four states, including Florida, New Jersey,
Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin, have enacted Segway's proposals into
law with surprising speed over the past six months. Legislation in four
more states is awaiting governors' signatures.
Even before it was unveiled, there were worries among doctors and others
who fear pedestrians will get hurt by the two-wheeled, 69-pound Segways as
the machines zip around at up to 12.5 mph.
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