by Cheyenne Schoen |
University of Portland recently joined a growing number of colleges that have banned self-balancing scooters, or hoverboards, from campus because their potential to explode presents a fire and safety hazard.
The Office of Residence Life announced in a December email to students currently living in campus housing that hoverboards and all related self-balancing scooters were banned from university-owned housing, including residence halls, Haggerty & Tyson apartments and university-owned rental homes.
The email added that students who received hoverboards over winter break should not bring them back to campus.
Public Safety officer Michael Kranyak said that until the cause of the explosions are determined, hoverboards are not allowed on any part of campus.
“There are 14 known cases throughout the U.S. and no known reasons for why they catch fire,” Kranyak said. “According to the U.S. Product Consumer Safety Commission, they’re really not safe just sitting in a room unattended.”
As for those living in non-university housing, Kranyak suggests storing the vehicle away from any wall, possibly outside and on a cement floor.
The increasingly popular devices use lithium-ion batteries, which contain highly combustible liquids. Many major airlines - including American, Delta and Southwest – refuse to transport hoverboards due to safety risks. A number of online retailers including Amazon and Overstock have stopped selling hoverboards. Cheyenne is a reporter at The Beacon. She can be reached at schoen17@up.edu.
