Pride Dynamo Owner's Manual page 10

Has anyone been injured by the erratic, unintended motion of an electric scooter?
The FDA has reports of injuries that resulted from uncontrolled motion of electric scooters, but it is not
clear just how many of those injuries were actually caused by EMI/RFI.
Are all electric scooters susceptible to EMI/RFI?
Each make and model of electric scooter differs in its ability to resist EMI/RFI. That is, each scooter has a
particular level of resistance to EMI/RFI. This resistance is measured in volts per meter (V/m). A higher
resistance level offers greater protection against EMI/RFI. In other words, an electric scooter with a high
resistance level is less likely to be affected by a strong radio source than is an electric scooter with a low
resistance level.
What is the FDA doing about the problem?
The FDA has written to electric scooter manufacturers and requested that they test their new scooter mod-
els to be certain that they provide a reasonable degree of resistance against EMI/RFI. The FDA has stated
that all newly-manufactured electric scooter models should have a resistance level of at least 20 V/m. This
resistance level provides a reasonable degree of protection against the common EMI/RFI sources.
THE FDA HAS ALSO REQUESTED OR RECOMMENDED THAT:
n Electric scooter manufacturers clearly label new products with that product’s resistance level or state
that the resistance level is not known.
n The labeling or informational material supplied with new electric scooters must explain what the resis-
tance level means and warn users about the possibility of EMI/RFI and how to avoid it.
n Electric scooter manufacturers undertake an educational program to inform electric scooter users and
their caregivers about the problems associated with EMI/RFI and about the actions they can take to
minimize the risk of EMI/RFI.
n While there is no exact way to tell if your scooter is totally safe, an immunity level of 20 V/m
(May 1994) is gene Dynamo achievable and useful. This product has been tested and passed at an
immunity level of 20 V/m. Adding accessories and components or modifying the unit may change the
susceptibility to EMI/RFI.
What can I do to find out if my Dynamo is likely to be affected by EMI/RFI?
If you have had your Dynamo for some time and have not experienced any unintended motion, it is not
likely that you will have a problem in the future. However, it is always possible that EMI/RFI problems
could arise if you are close to a radio wave source. Therefore, it is very important for you to be alert to this
possibility. The Dynamo scooter meets or exceeds a resistance level of at least 20 V/m.
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