[IP] more on Recall Sidetracks Segway Scooters
Delivered-To: dfarber+@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:37:50 -0700
From: Linda Stone <linda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] Recall Sidetracks Segway Scooters
To: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Stacy Ferguson <stacy.ferguson@xxxxxxxxxx>
Dave,
I thought you might be interested in this. I've been associated with Dean
and with his various companies for many years. I shared your IP email with
these folks and they are hoping you will share the information below with
your readers.
Best,
Linda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stacy Ferguson"
<<mailto:stacy.ferguson@xxxxxxxxxx>stacy.ferguson@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'Lindastone'" <<mailto:linda@xxxxxxxxxxx>linda@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 5:35 PM
Subject: RE: [IP] Recall Sidetracks Segway Scooters
Dear Mr. Farber:
I've learned that you posted the first iteration of AP's coverage of the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)/Segway LLC story on your
listserv. I thought you might be interested in a more complete version of
the story, one that was fleshed-out further by AP within an hour of having
posted the "brief" that appeared in your update.
Here's the fuller story. Our engineering team has been working on
the release of a new model. We chose to approach the CPSC (we are a
consumer product legal on the sidewalks in 40 states plus DC) for advice and
counsel. We needed to decide if the new software package developed for our
new model
could bring added value to the models we already had out in the marketplace.
It's unusual for a business to retrofit product: We asked
ourselves: should we
invest in our bottom line and leave things as they were or should we work
toward bringing the latest and best safety
enhancements we could provide to all of our customers. We have a strong
commitment to our early adopters and we chose to make the investment in
making the upgrade available to every Segway owner. This software upgrade
was not something that we were required to do. This was our choice.
As you might imagine, introducing new technology that also asks for changes
in behavior (e.g, how people view distance and transportation) is something
we are passionate about and we are strongly committed to the visionary
individuals who have chosen to travel this path with us.
If you or your readers are interested in keeping up with Segway, please
check out <http://www.segwaychat.com>www.segwaychat.com. In the meantime,
if you have any further questions regarding Segway products or Segway, LLC,
please don't hesitate to contact me.
Respectfully,
Stacy Ferguson
Director, Public Affairs
Segway LLC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Farber" <<mailto:dave@xxxxxxxxxx>dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <<mailto:ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 1:25 PM
Subject: [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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