A new law in California that went into effect Friday requires hoverboard riders to be at least 16 years old, have a helmet, and should not go beyond 35 mph.
Eyewitness News reported that hoverboards were the most popular holiday gifts, with countless people posting their riding experiences online. A lot of these videos showed falls. Even celebrities like Mike Tyson posted a video of how he fell while riding the device.
According to Orange County Segway's Carole Eatough, "For any type of vehicle like this, you're going to need training because if you haven't been on one, it's just not going to be natural to you."
Fox LA wrote that California Highway Patrol stated that "The new law defines 'electronically motorized board' as a wheeled device designed to be stood on and powered by electronic propulsion, going no more than 15 miles per hour." The new law will let riders use the board on bike lanes, roads, and pathways, as long as it doesn't exceed the speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
Those who will violate the law will pay a fine of $250, according to NBC. There have also been videos and reports of this transportation device catching fire. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also set out an investigation on the safety of the hoverboards.
"They have to be not looking out for themselves, but also looking out for cars that are out there," said California Office of Traffic Safety's Chris Cochran on being responsible with the device. "And they have to look out for pedestrians."
Cochran expects other local governments to follow suit in the following months. The California Highway Patrol will be monitoring the law in the next five years and will report the results to the legislature by 2021. However, the new law doesn't indicate anything about riding the hoverboard on sidewalks, which will be up to the local cities and counties to come up with their own guidelines.
