Seen on ‘The Young Turks’

Why are the parts so far away. Did it blow or just burn?

[video]https://youtu.be/YdMv5iGxDyo[/video]

Have that many really been recalled?

When lithium batteries go up they go with quite a pop, depending on how they are sealed they can swell quite a lot as they overheat then burst and throw the contents about.

even if it hasn’t exploded as such, burning lithium dances around quite a bit, especially in contact with water
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4dj34MYvnY[/video]

As far as I’m aware there is no ‘recall’ – how would that work? 15,000 have been seized at ports though having been found to be dangerous.

Two of my girls wanted them for xmas – not a hope.

Thanks chaps 🙂

Most airlines have now banned them, whether in the cabin or hold, because of concerns over battery fires.

As far as I’m aware there is no ‘recall’ –

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=14552&categoryId=173014&productId=1222967

Halfords are doing one.

I think we should balance the apparent failure of the whole ‘hoverboard’ product (ie. it doesn’t hover and it self combusts) against the really cool videos we’re seeing on the internet of them burning.

Well the ‘Hoverboard’ crime spree has started 🙁

Speedy get away

look who’s in hot pursuit:

I thought they were illegal to use just about every where other than private land, so useless anyhow

As far as I’m aware there is no ‘recall’

Halfords are doing one.

..and now I’m aware there is one 🙂

Teenager dies in London using a hoverboard

Teenager dies in London using a hoverboard

I suspect being run over by a bus had quite a lot to do with it…

I suspect being run over by a bus had quite a lot to do with it…

Yea, but you can’t get quite so indignantly angry about the number of people dying whilst wearing shoes in similar circumstances.

Anyone else thing that hoverboards are the coolest thing ever, but hate e-bikes with a passion?

Anyone else thing that hoverboards are the coolest thing ever, but hate e-bikes with a passion?

Nope. Quite the contrary, as it happens. I see pictures of people using those ‘hoverboards’, and the word ‘****’ springs lightly to mind.

Dunno about dangerous.. Absolutely ridiculous though for sure

they were on watchdog a couple of weeks ago one blew up in someones house

the kid in the pushchair watching the flames must have a few thoughts on the air quality, what with the acrid plastic burning smell and then the lovely aroma of eau de fire extinguisher.

Sad story of the kid getting run over by the bus when using a hoverboard in london.

Hoverboards dont kill people, rappers do 🙂

Nope. Quite the contrary, as it happens. I see pictures of people using those ‘hoverboards’, and the word ‘****’ springs lightly to mind.

Just what I’ve thought the past couple of days watching a grown man get off the train and unfold his scooter.

What utter idiot coined the word hoverboard for these mini segways?

He’s living at home wasting money on this stuff.

[video]https://youtu.be/SBofxHr8dms[/video]

Hover boards my arse! they’ve got wheels, they don’t hover, they should be banned just for that..

They’re called Swegways round this way.

My nephew has one. I’ve had a go on it, they’re lethal! Jnr has used it a lot, fell off and an A&E visit ensued. One of my nephews mates used it, she ended up with a broken elbow and a dislocated shoulder after falling off. Nephew has been fine on it though.

As for them being illegal… I don’t think the police are doing much to enforce the law on this as it’s quite an old outdated law (as I understand it).

Well not really, it’s all the laws about motorised vehicles, which seem to be kept up to date, because these are classified as motorised vehicles. Unless of course you’re thinking about the 1835 Highways Act, which is what bans them from being used on pavements (footways) – but then I understand that is sometimes enforced, just maybe not for so called hoverboards. That certainly isn’t an “outdated” law, as it’s certainly still relevant, and certainly still in force.

Interesting seeing this vid, where the beeb try oh so hard to stay legal by only riding on private property. However isn’t it the case the private property with public access is covered under exactly the same laws, so they’re still breaking the law?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34079793

that was linked from this, where the inventor seems to think the law will change…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35050228

Personally I still think the latter looks much less stupid, and as discussed previously, with the narrower track probably works a lot better integrating with peds in urban environments – I certainly find a leg powered uni fine for riding through pedestrianised areas when a bike would be far more hassle (and for the pedants, whether that is legal is definitely a grey area, but it doesn’t appear to be specifically illegal in the way motorised ones are).

A mode of transport with 2 wheels where you need a sense of balance & don’t need to put effort in??

They’ll be inventing electric bikes next! Oh, wait….

What a load of old farts.

They are no more dangerous than skateboards. I remember flying down hills at 3x the speeds these things are capable of on my skateboard, falling off and ripping my skin to bits. I didn’t ask for a ban on skateboards, my dad told me to be more careful next time and my mum cleaned me up.

Can’t believe all the peeps on here who are involved in an activity that involves quite a bit of danger on a mechanical contraption are putting up comments about danger.

With regards to the batteries, it’s the same technology as used in rc cars. I have had a dozen lipo batteries on storage charge in my garage for the last 12 months. Yep they can go bang but the odds are small. Store them in the garage, charge them according to instructions using a UK spec plug and you should be ok. Let’s face it, they don’t explode, they give off a load of smoke and then fizz and burn. By the time they smoke, most kids will have jumped off and be 1mile away.

Boring farts

Oh and if I have read correctly these aren’t even as dangerous as the lipos. It’s similar batteries to the ones we all used for ages in them Chinese torches we used for bike lights. 18650 batteries.

Pah

http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/262141056106

Did your skateboards explode? 😯

Yes, it might be the same battery tech as used in RC cars and bike lights – but rather higher energy content than the typical ones used in those. LiIon aren’t particularly any safer – we’ve all seen the stories of bike light batteries exploding, and there have also been issues with laptop batteries igniting, suggesting it’s not just a problem with low quality chargers.

With regards to the batteries, it’s the same technology as used in rc cars. I have had a dozen lipo batteries on storage charge in my garage for the last 12 months. Yep they can go bang but the odds are small. Store them in the garage, charge them according to instructions using a UK spec plug and you should be ok. Let’s face it, they don’t explode, they give off a load of smoke and then fizz and burn. By the time they smoke, most kids will have jumped off and be 1mile away.

Boring farts

TheLittlestHobo – Member
Oh and if I have read correctly these aren’t even as dangerous as the lipos. It’s similar batteries to the ones we all used for ages in them Chinese torches we used for bike lights. 18650 batteries.

Pah
We know that, I’ve got a whole bunch of 18650 and 14500 Li-ion batteries, and a bunch of CR-123 lithium batteries on their way from China, and I’ve never had an issue, even with the cheap TrustFire ones, so how is it that so many of these things seem to be blowing up?

I reckon this is pretty dangerous though…

Admittedly, the weight is very light for Bradley…

[video]https://youtu.be/fFIkIr0FxSg?t=1m[/video]

They are no more dangerous than skateboards

Skateboards are dangerous, as you have already found out the hard way.

Guy rolls into Co-op on hoverboard, picks up Lucozade, rolls back out without paying

It’s not just ‘Hoverboards’ that are dangerous sadly – this was two roads away from me.

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/fire-caused-charging-mobile-phone-10587435

People took the piss when there were reports of dishwashers running overnight, overheating and catching fire, another thing that happened to a friend of mine. I know the risk is small, and may not be totally avoidable but can be mitigated by being smart and having smoke alarms installed and working, avoiding charging stuff on flammable surfaces overnight, etc.

As above, I don’t think the hoverboards are particularly hazardous, it’s the cheap batteries that we all love to scrimp on in our swegways and lights and…..