Hoverboards Banned at BC, Brandeis

NEWTON, WALTHAM, MA -- Following safety concerns, two more universities have now followed suit and banned hoverhoards on its campuses. Several have exploded, causing fires and injuries.

On Friday, Boston College’s Director of Public Safety’s John King sent a letter to the student body indicating that hoverboards were banned on the BC campus. According to The Heights, BC’s online news site, the decision was initiated by the dean of students and director of the office of residential life.

The email, reported the Heights, said the decision was based on a recommendation from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety after the Consumer Product Safety Commission cited 28 fires in 19 states to hoverboards.

Boston College joins University of Massachusetts Amherst, Suffolk University and now Tufts University in banning the motorized scooter.

By Jan. 7, at least 20 universities across the country had banned hoverboards on its campuses, reported MassLive.

So why do hoverboards have the potential to explode? According to Wired, “Plugged in or not, the big problem has to do with the quality of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries inside these things. They’re almost always tucked in one of the foot rests, and they work the same way as the lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones, tablets, and laptops. They’re just a lot more prone to defects.”

Image via Frederick Brown