Segway scooters recalled after injuries

The Segway Human Transporter, a self-balancing motorized vehicle launched in 2001 with much fanfare, has been recalled after three people injured themselves falling from the scooters.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall Friday, saying three people have been injured falling off when the vehicle's batteries are low.

One of the people suffered a head injury that required stitches.

"Under certain operating conditions, particularly when the batteries are near the end of charge, some Segway HTs may not deliver enough power, allowing the rider to fall," said the CPSC in a release.

"This can happen if the rider speeds up abruptly, encounters an obstacle, or continues to ride after receiving a low-battery alert," the regulatory agency said.

Segway customers can receive a free software upgrade that will correct the problem.

The Segway HT can hit a top speed of 27 km/h. The company says the scooter has a range of nearly 30 kilometres a day on a dime's worth of electricity. The two-wheeled scooter resembles a hand mower.

• FROM DEC. 3, 2001: Self-balanced scooter unveiled amid hype

The CPSC said about 6,000 of the units are involved in the recall. Models on the list include the Segway HT i167 (i series), the e167 (e series) and p133 (p series).