US regulators urge people to stop using Peloton treadmill after accidents (VIDEO)

United States regulators have urged people with children and pets to stop using a Peloton treadmill after one child died and nearly 40 others were injured in incidents related to the running machine.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said it had received reports of toddlers and a pet being dragged under the rear roller of the Tread+, resulting in fractures, scrapes and the death of one child.

Peloton: Warning is ‘misleading’

Peloton Interactive Inc, though, claimed the warning was both “inaccurate and misleading,” the Associated Press reported the firm as saying via a press release.

The New York-based company recognized children and pets should be kept away from the treadmill, while it needs to be switched off when not in use, with its safety key removed. Under these circumstances, the machine remains safe, Peloton said.

But the CPSC said that in at least one incident, a child was pulled under the treadmill while a parent was running on it, suggesting it can be dangerous to children even while an adult is present.

Pandemic profits

Best known for its stationary bikes with in-built commentary from fitness instructors, Peloton introduced its $4,000 (€3340) treadmill about three years ago, before re-branding it as the Tread+.

Sales of Peloton equipment have soared during the pandemic with people seeking a fix to their exercise cravings in the absence of an open gym.

Peloton brought in $1 billion in revenue in the last three months of 2020, more than double the amount for the same period of 2019.