Owners of Peloton’s Tread+ treadmills should unplug them and stop using them if they have small children or pets in the home, the federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) warned on Friday, April 16, 2021, after learning of “multiple incidents of small children and a pet being sucked under and injured beneath the machines.” (See ABC News story here).
The disturbing video below shows a toddler being pulled under the machine by the moving belt. Why the warning only applies to that make and model wasn’t specified, but I’d guess it’s because of the segmented instead of solid belt design, which are clearly visible in the photo at left.
While a solid belt has friction, the leading edges of the segments are more likely to grab and hold.
Peloton seems to feel it’s being singled out; this risk, inherent to treadmills generally, has been known for years (see, e.g., article here). To me, the obvious solution is a safety bar under the rear roller. Why all treadmills don’t have them, I don’t know. Mine doesn’t.