This Day in History: Jimi Heselden, 62, owner of Segway Inc., died on this day in 2010, after riding a Segway Personal Transport System off a cliff in Thorp Arch, England. The coroner came to the conclusion that Heselden had likely fallen from the cliff with the Segway after 'getting into difficulty' reversing to allow a man walking his dog to pass him.
A Segway Personal Transporter is a two-wheeled transportation device related to a scooter. Steve Jobs thought the Segway would revolutionize mobility, and was quoted in 2001 as saying the machine was as big as the personal computer.
Now, however, the Segway is no longer in production. Segway had initially planned to sell as many as 100,000 units in the first 13 months, but the company only ever sold around 140,000 vehicles in total. The cost may have been a factor. It started out with a $5000 price-tag, which eventually became $10,000.
The Segway has also been known to be dangerous. "According to a George Washington University study, Segways are impressively dangerous. The study took place in Washington, D.C., which does not require Segway riders to wear helmets. The study examined the medical records of 41 patients who were admitted to emergency rooms at the university hospital from 2006 to 2008..The study noted that, of the 41 accidents, 24 percent were for serious injuries that involved admission to the hospital...Of the ten people admitted to the hospital, four were for traumatic brain injuries and required intensive care. Two other people underwent surgery. One suffered facial fractures and another suffered a fractured tibia. There were also a variety of broken and/or fractured clavicles, ribs, ankles and arms." Source
The Segway had more problems when high-profile people had accidents with them, notably George W. Bush, Ellen, and Usain Bolt.
When the manufacturing plant in Bedford, New Hampshire shut down, its 21 employees were laid off. That's not a lot of staff for a well known brand. In contrast, Razor Scooters has 123 employees.
However, you can still buy Segway products online.
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