3. Lawn Darts: The Backyard Game Deemed Too Dangerous
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, backyard barbecues frequently featured a wildly popular outdoor game known as Lawn Darts, most commonly sold under the brand name Jarts. The game operated similarly to horseshoes; players stood at a distance and tossed heavy projectiles into plastic target rings laid on the grass. However, unlike lightweight plastic toys, genuine Lawn Darts featured massive, solid metal spikes weighing approximately half a pound. Manufacturers designed them with aerodynamic plastic fins to ensure that the heavy metal tip always struck the ground first, embedding deeply into the soil with considerable force.
The inherent danger of throwing heavy metal spikes through the air in crowded backyards quickly became apparent. Hospitals reported thousands of severe injuries, including skull punctures and severe eye trauma. Initially, manufacturers exploited a regulatory loophole by explicitly marketing Lawn Darts as an “adult game” and placing warning labels on the boxes, which prevented the newly formed Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) from outright banning them as children’s toys. Unfortunately, children frequently discovered these games in garages and played with them unsupervised.
The trajectory of this product changed forever in April 1987, when a stray Lawn Dart struck and tragically killed a seven-year-old girl named Michelle Snow. Her grieving father, David Snow, dedicated his life to an intense lobbying campaign aimed at eradicating the product. He systematically documented the 6,100 emergency room visits caused by the darts and presented undeniable evidence to Congress. By 1988, the CPSC issued a comprehensive ban on the sale of all Lawn Darts in the United States. Regulators even urged consumers to physically destroy existing sets to prevent secondary market sales. This dark chapter in American history provides an actionable insight for modern creators: you must proactively anticipate the worst-case scenarios of your product’s use, because catastrophic safety failures will ultimately invite permanent regulatory execution.
