As most students are aware, Kennesaw State University is known to take safety quite seriously. Last semester, the campus was scattered with pedestrians riding on self-balancing electric segways, commonly known as hoverboards. While those who own these devices are in utter disbelief because of the precautions taken, this rule to ban hoverboards is nothing new to the University System of Georgia, and many others throughout the United States. In fact, KSU is one of the last in Georgia to implement this new protocol, and rightfully so due to their repeated pattern of catching on fire, and in some cases, running over commuters walking in front of them. It is only natural for students to question the decisions made by those in authoritative positions. Yet, in this case, a good amount of thought was put into the decision alongside the general student consensus.
“Obviously we’re concerned about the life and safety, first and foremost, of our students and faculty,” Dr. Michael L. Sanseviro, Dean of Student Affairs, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Any time you’re dealing with fire safety issues it’s really meant to be preventative action until we have better data that suggests that this is something that we can safely have on our campus.”
According to Atlanta’s National Public Radio station, WABE, it is the lithium ion batteries in the hoverboards that are known to either explode or catch fire. Multiple hospitals throughout the country have admitted a consistent amount of patients receiving care for broken bones, cuts and concussions from riding the equipment.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission claims there have been 12 instances in the United States where the batteries in the self-balancing devices caught fire, thus destroying bedrooms, and in some cases, entire buildings. This January, the CPSC updated that amount to over 40 in at least 19 states. Plus, its difficult to tell if there is a way around the issue because they have exploded, not only while charging, but also during utilization and even while sitting, one case near a kiosk in a Washington shopping mall. Not to mention, there is no single origin where the dysfunctional hoverboards are coming from; most come from thousands of various factories in China. The popular internet website, CNET, has warned not to overcharge, but this is a precaution that many are not accustomed to.
With so many freak accidents occurring, it’s understandable why the US airline industry has banned them. American, Alaska, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United Airlines prohibit them on all passenger flights, while the US Postal Service has said they have ceased shipping them by air. Not to mention, Amazon, Target and overstock.com have begun to stop selling the products as a whole. Nicole Williams, a freshman biology major questions the existence of Hoverboards in the first place.
“I honestly feel like those who use hoverboards to get across campus are lazy,” said Williams. “This change in lifestyle only further emphasizes the stereotypes that Americans are known for.”
Furthermore, they have made walking on campus a difficult endeavor. More times than not, the hoverboards are seen tailgating pedestrians because they are not walking fast enough. It is not only a matter of safety at this point, but also common courtesy. Not to mention, some even have bluetooth speakers that the user is able to blast their music from. You wouldn’t bring a boombox to the gym, so why force everyone to listen to your personal music selection as you ride through a busy common area? The hoverboard itself is seen as a bit unnecessary to most, but the speakers only further escalate the device to being an obnoxious toy.
Dr.
Sanseviro said that they will rely on the state fire marshal and the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission prior to lifting the ban, but there is not a
particular date in mind when the Hoverboards will be allowed on campus again.
Though for the time being, it is in the best interest of everyone that they
stay off university property.
