Prof. Savard quipped, “If it’s not a weapon and it’s not medical equipment, it’s a toy.”
Weapons manufacturers also undergo strict objective scrutiny from outside safety agencies. Tasers, however, qualify as neither medical instruments nor weapons, and are therefore subject only to the manufacturer’s testing standards. [LINK]
At least the safety of toys would be regulated (in the USA) by the Consumer Product Safety agency.
A spokesman for Taser International defended the quality standards. Which, if you've followed the issue, is obviously empty nonsense. Real-world testing sponsored by CBC/RC found that about 10% of tasers in the field were out of spec. Taser International was apparently unaware of this issue.
Tasers that fail low are not safe; their lack of full effectivity can escalate an incident and lead directly to death by gun fire. This sequence has actually happened quite a few times. It opens a new avenue for lawsuits. One was recently filed by an officer shot in the face by a shoplift suspect after the taser was ineffective.
An organization with moral maturity would address these sorts of issues differently. It's as if we're dealing with children. They need a good spanking.
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