The University of Alabama has temporarily banned increasingly popular “hoverboards” from UA housing facilities, including greek houses, according to an email sent to students Wednesday.
According to the email, the University is placing restrictions on the use of the scooters “Out of an abundance of caution.”
The email also encouraged students to check airline regulations regarding hoverboards which, per USA Today, are banned on all major airlines.
The email linked to a statement from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“CPSC engineers in our National Product Testing and Evaluation Center in Maryland have tested and will continue to test new and damaged boards in search of an answer for why some models caught fire during the charging stage and others caught fire while in use. Our expert staff is looking particularly closely at the configuration of the battery packs and compatibility with the chargers,” the statement reads. “While the fire hazard has generated significant attention, I do not want to downplay the fall hazard. CPSC has received dozens of reports of injuries from hospital ERs that we have contracts with and they continue to feed us real-time data.
“Some of these injuries have been serious, including concussions, fractures, contusions/abrasions, and internal organ injuries. Always wear a proper helmet and padding while using this product.
“I am also concerned that there is no safety standard in place for hoverboards. Strong safety standards protect consumers.”
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