Popular exercise Peloton is warning owners to keep their children away from their treadmills after an accident involving its Tread+ in which a child died.
Image via PELOTON
CEO John Foley sent a letter to Tread+ owners Thursday, saying the warning comes after a “tragic accident involving a child and the Tread+, resulting in, unthinkably, a death.”
He went on to note that they ‘are aware of only a small handful of incidents involving the Tread+ where children have been hurt’.
It is estimated that 12,000 children a year are treated in U.S. emergency departments for injuries related to home exercise equipment. Half of all injuries occurred when using the equipment, while other injuries happened when kids fell into the equipment or when they came in contact with moving parts of the equipment. Most commonly, children 10 to 18 years of age were injured as a result of improperly using the exercise equipment. Those kids 4 years and younger, sustained injuries when they touched moving parts of the equipment or when they fell into the equipment.
While details of what happened to the child are not available, Foley shared a couple of tips to keep kids safe around the equipment.
To prevent accidents, please take care to review and follow all the safety warnings and instructions that we provide, and always:
-
Keep children and pets away from Peloton exercise equipment at all times. Before you begin a workout, double check to make sure that the space around your Peloton exercise equipment is clear.
-
When you finish a workout on your Tread+, remove the safety key and store it out of reach of children and anyone else who should not be able to start the Tread+.
Peloton’s Tread+ costs US$4,295, and it features carbon steel and aluminum as well as a 23.8” HD touchscreen and immersive front-facing speakers. A lower-priced option is scheduled to be available in late May.
