Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

University Bans Hoverboards

CREDIT: SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
CREDIT: SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
CREDIT: SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
CREDIT: SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE

University administration prohibited the use and storage of hoverboards on campus Thursday through a campus-wide email. This decision comes at a time when the popular self-balancing transportation devices are being investigated for causing serious physical injuries to users as well as sparking house fires resulting from faulty manufacturing.

In a correspondence to the university community, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Christopher Augostini cited the ongoing investigation of hoverboards by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as a main cause of the ban.

“Until the Consumer Product Safety Commission makes a determination on the safety of these devices, we are prohibiting their use or storage on our campus,” Augostini said.

In the past few months, there has been a spike in incidences involving hoverboard fires or ‘exploding hoverboards,’ where the devices catch fire from faulty lithium-ion batteries, causing millions of dollars of damages. Pedestrians have also complained about unsafe conditions on sidewalks and in neighborhoods caused by the transportation devices.

Georgetown is joined in the banning of hoverboards by fellow District of Columbia universities American University and George Washington University. The popular holiday gift has also been banned on most United States airlines and on the streets of New York City, among other locations nationwide.

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