Hoverboards were an incredibly popular gift this holiday season, which makes the safety risks posed by the devices an even bigger concern now that the holidays are over. Several U.S. colleges have recently instituted policies, including outright bans, which seek to protect students against hoverboard-related injuries.
More than 20 colleges have instituted outright bans, or otherwise significant restrictions, on hoverboards by classifying the motorized scooters as contraband. The bans come on the heels of multiple media reports detailing the safety risks posed by the two-wheeled scooters.
At Kean University, located in Union, NJ, school officials recently emailed the student body, which consists of 14,000 students, and announced a ban on hoverboards because of fire dangers. Len Dolan, the school’s managing director of fire safety, stated that anyone caught in possession of a hoverboard on the Kean University campus will have their devices confiscated. Dolan indicated that he called for the ban after seeing news reports of hoverboards catching fire. In Dolan’s view, any “inconvenience” suffered by students wishing to use their hoverboards is more than offset by the safety and health risks posed to everyone on campus.
Other schools that have recently instituted bans on hoverboards include two colleges located in Washington, D.C.: American University and George Washington University. Several other universities, including the University of Arkansas, the University of Iowa and Louisiana State University, have prohibited hoverboards in campus dorm rooms and hallways. Meanwhile, NJ fire officials have recommended that all public colleges in New Jersey ban hoverboards.
The bans on hoverboards at Kean University and other colleges in the U.S. figure to cause a great deal of inconvenience for some people, especially considering the burgeoning popularity of the gadgets in recent months.
Beyond the fire dangers posed by hoverboards, the popular gadgets have also been found to increase the risk of slip & fall accidents, dangerous collisions and other serious accidents.
To learn more about recent college bans on hoverboards, check out the AOL.com article entitled, “Colleges Tell Students to Leave Their Hoverboards at Home.”
If you or a loved one has sustained a serious, accident-related injury in South Jersey, you need to talk to a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer immediately. The skilled product liability and premises liability attorneys at Andres, Berger & Tran P.C. represent clients in personal injury cases throughout New Jersey. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation about your case.
