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TWU bans use

Hoverboard safety questioned

Sierra Taylor, Managing Editor

betterhoverboardIf you were hoping to zip across campus with ease this semester you might not want to hop on your hoverboard just yet.

On Jan. 13, TWU became one of the dozens of colleges and universities to ban self-balancing electric scooters from their campuses due to safety concerns.

The ban prohibits the use, possession or storage of hoverboards on  TWU campuses including buildings, parking lots, sidewalks and any TWU managed housing.

The incorrectly named “hoverboards,” which do not actually hover, are two-wheeled personal scooters that gained popularity over the holiday season. There has been several reports of the hot-ticket gift item bursting into flames.

The fires were reportedly due to lithium-ion batteries bursting into flames, which led to airlines prohibiting hoverboards on their planes. Amazon has offered full refunds and even advised their customers to throw them away altogether.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission released a warning over the products and has announced an investigation into the fires. Chairman Elliot F. Kaye released a statement on Jan. 20 stating: “CPSC staff is focusing on the components of the lithium-ion battery packs as well as their interaction with the circuit boards inside the units. CPSC staff has consulted with test laboratories, lithium-ion battery representatives and other outside experts to verify safe design practices for use of lithium-ion batteries in hoverboards.”

If you have any questions regarding use of hoverboards on campus, please contact the Office of Emergency Management.

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