Amazon pulls hoverboards for the second time after scooters spark new safety concerns

Amazon has once again stopped the sales of self-balancing scooters or "hoverboards" from its website in the US due to ongoing fears over their safety. The move comes after the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a notice to manufacturers urging them to comply with voluntary safety standards.

The notice, dated 18 February, states that hoverboards "pose an unreasonable risk of fire to consumers" and requests that manufacturers and retailers halt sales until safety standards can be reviewed. The CPSC said it had received reports of 52 fires caused by hoverboards between 1 December and 17 February that resulted in $2m (£1.4m) in property damage. This included the destruction of two homes and a vehicle.

Amazon first pulled the devices from its website on 14 December as incidents first came to light and requested all hoverboard sellers to provide documentation that showed their devices met applicable safety standards. Concerns have been centred largely around the quality of the batteries and chargers supplied with the boards, with most incidents of fires reported to have started when the devices were charging.

The nifty mode of transport has rapidly gained popularity in the past 12 months but the fad has proved a controversial one. In the UK, the devices have been banned from use on public roads and pavements under the 1835 Highways Act. In early December, the National Trading Standards (NTS) reported it had seized more than 17,000 scooters feared to be unsafe, of which over 15,000 were declared faulty. Later that month, the NTS said it had seized more than 32,000 unsafe boards.

Reports note that links to hoverboard retailers on Amazon's website now lead to empty pages or 404 error messages, while CNet reports that some retailers are now only selling accessories for the scooters.

Amazon is yet to respond to a request from IBTimes UK for comment.