Tech Corner: The Risk of Owning a Hoverboard in New York City
Mandy Mac
A hoverboard, as seen in Back to the Future ll, is a levitating board used for personal transportation. It is supposed to resemble a skateboard without wheels. However, the hoverboards we see today have wheels, resembles more of a segway without a handle, and can catch on fire.
Hoverboards have been deemed a fire hazard because of the lack of independent safety certifications. Hoverboards keep exploding due to the faulty lithium-ion batteries (rechargeable batteries that move from the negative electrode to the positive during use, and positive to negative when charging). iFixit’s team dismantled Swagway’s current hoverboard model, the X1, to “see what was under the hood”. The team found a couple of small issues, such as mismatched colors on the motor’s power line and poor soldering on the battery protection board.
Most of these unsafe hoverboards have been sold in the states. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) have posed the boards to be recalled or seized by the US Government if they lack the safety certification. They agency even says that anyone caught selling uncertified hoverboards will face civil and criminal penalties.
“Self-balancing scooters that do not meet these voluntary safety standards pose an unreasonable risk of fire to consumers. Consumers risk serious injury or death if their self-balancing scooter ignites and burns” -Consumer Products Safety Commissions
As stated in the video above, CPSC data reports that there has been 52 reports of malfunctioning hoverboards that have resulted in fires and causing a total of $2 million dollars in property damage, including the complete destruction of a home and a car. Which is why these boards are being banned by many locations, transportation companies, and major airlines.
In December, Amazon has removed the Hoverboards from their store while pending a safety review. Last week, Amazon pulled them again after the CPSC announcement. Target and Toys R’ Us also removed the boards from their online stores as well, and the US Postal Service will not ship the board by plane.
The MTA has also jumped on board (pun intended) with banning hoverboards from all New York City’s transportation options: city buses, subways, and trains, including the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Metro-North Railroad trains, and even our Staten Island’s Railway. The banned even includes stations and platforms. This banned is being broadcasted through announcements and ad campaigns. The ads make it clear that passengers cannot transport or ride hoverboards on MTA-controlled transit.
Join the conversation: What are your thoughts on these non-hovering hoverboards? Did we rush into Back To The Future Two’s exceptions of 2015 too quickly by making these dangerous devices? Are you pro-hoverboard? Join our conversation on Facebook and Twitter! Let’s discuss!
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