Mon 29 Sep 2003
MANCHESTER, N.H. — The government has announced a recall of all Segway scooters.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, riders can fall off the futuristic scooter if its batteries are low. Segway LLC is voluntarily recalling the scooters so the software can be upgraded.
The CPSC said that it received three reports of people falling from the scooters, including one person who received a head injury that required stitches.
The Segway can lose power when the battery is low and the rider speeds up abruptly, encounters an obstacle or continues to ride after receiving a low-battery alert, according to the CPSC.
The recall involves all Segway HT i167 (”i Series”) models sold to consumers. In addition, Segway LLC is including all e167 (”e Series”) and i167 models sold to commercial users and all p133 (”p Series”) models sold to consumers in test markets.
About 6,000 Segway scooters are affected.
The Segway was introduced after months of hype in December 2001 by Dean Kamen, the New Hampshire inventor who also created a wheelchair that can climb stairs and the first portable kidney dialysis machine.
Anyone who owns one of the scooters can call Segway LLC toll-free at between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday for information on how to receive a free software upgrade. Segway LLC is directly contacting owners of the products.
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