A toddler was pulled under a Peloton treadmill in a terrifying video released by federal regulators Saturday to highlight concerns about the fitness machines. (Watch the track below, but be warned that some viewers may find it worrying.)
In the video, the boy comes to the machine with a ball and it looks like he is caught on the conveyor belt as it passes under the treadmill. The belt drags the boy under the machine, and at one point his head is sharply forced back as the roll continues to pull him.
Eventually he can escape.
The incident was one of 39 described by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, which urged parents of children at home to ‘use the product immediately’. According to Peloton, one child died, the commission said.
“CPSC staff believe that the Peloton Tread + poses serious risks to children due to abrasions, fractures and death,” the agency wrote, citing several reports of children trapped under the backseat.
Those who want to keep the device should use it in a locked room without children there, because according to the commission, an adult can not be there.
Peloton opposed it, saying the commission’s warning was “inaccurate and misleading.”
“There is no reason to stop using the Tread + as long as all warnings and safety instructions are followed,” the fitness company wrote in a press release. “Children under 16 should never use the treadmill +, and members should keep children, pets and objects away from the treadmill + at all times.”
“Peloton is disappointed that CPSC, despite the fact that the Tread + complies with all applicable safety standards, was not prepared to have meaningful discussions with Peloton before its inaccurate and misleading press release was issued,” the statement said.
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