Peloton Is Pushing Back
After a child died last month following an accident involving a Tread+ treadmill, Peloton has decided to fight a subsequent request from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to recall the problematic fitness accessory. The device went on sale earlier this year, priced at $4,295, to complement the company’s popular stationary bike.
The US government agency also issued an urgent warning on the CPSC website cautioning Tread+ owners to stop using the machine following 39 reports of injuries involving people becoming entrapped, pinned, and pulled underneath the fitness accessory. Peloton has pushed back against the warning, calling it “inaccurate and misleading.”
Incidents Involving Peloton’s Treadmills
Moreover, the company’s leadership has said the following in a press release to investors and analysts on the Peloton website.
This comes after CSPS warned that “children may be seriously injured while the Tread+ is being used by an adult, not just when a child has unsupervised access to the machine.”
Accidents Involving Peloton Tread+
The Washington Post reported that some of the reported incidents involving Peloton’s equipment have resulted in broken bones and head traumas. Reacting to a child’s death last month, the CPSC has issued an administrative subpoena to force Peloton to report its own findings concerning the tragic accident.
On Sunday, the agency doubled-down by urging Tread+ owners to stop using the fitness equipment immediately, especially people with small children and pets. According to the CPSC’s statement on the matter, the government agency believes the Tread+ poses serious risks to children “for abrasions, fractures, and death.”
If you must continue to use the treadmill, the CPSC advised using it only in a locked room, to prevent access to children and pets while the treadmill is in use. “Keep all objects, including exercise balls and other equipment, away from the treadmill,” the agency advises.
To drive home the warning, the agency also posted a disturbing video on YouTube showing a kid getting dragged underneath the moving treadmill for more than 30 seconds before eventually freeing themselves.
Peloton CEO and co-founder John Foley called a child’s death last month a “tragic accident” in an email to customers. He went on to say that his company is aware of what he called “a small handful of incidents” involving the Tread+ where children have been hurt.
