Safety
regulators warned people with kids and pets to immediately stop using a
treadmill made by Peloton after one child died and nearly 40 others were
injured.
New York-based Peloton Interactive Inc
said in a news release that the warning was “inaccurate and misleading”. It
said there’s no reason to stop using the treadmill as long as children and pets
are kept away from it at all times, it is turned off when not in use, and a
safety key is removed.
But the safety commission said that in
at least one episode, a child was pulled under the treadmill while a parent was
running on it, suggesting it can be dangerous to children even while a parent
is present.
If adults want to keep using the
treadmill, the commission said, they should use it only in a locked room so
children and pets can’t come near it. When not in use, the treadmill should be
unplugged and the safety key taken out and hidden away.
Peloton
is best known for its stationary bikes, but it introduced the treadmill about
three years ago and now calls it the Tread+. It costs more than $4,000.
Sales of Peloton equipment have soared
during the pandemic as people avoid gyms and workout at home instead. The
company brought in $1bn in revenue in the last three months of 2020, more than
double its revenue from the same period a year before.
From The Guardian
