S.F. State bans hoverboards over fire concerns

San Francisco State University students need to travel to classes the old-fashioned way after hoverboards were added to a list of transportation devices banned from the campus.

University officials said they implemented the prohibition after the Consumer Product Safety Commission and National Fire Protection Association released warnings in December about the fire hazard associated with hoverboards.

Students who live on the San Francisco campus received an e-mail Monday telling them the two-wheel devices were banned, effective immediately, on school grounds and in dormitories, as first reported by the student newspaper Golden Gate Xpress.

“Hoverboards don’t make sense,” said Matthew Victor, 24, a student studying business and marketing who didn’t know about the ban.

San Francisco State’s police department has not dealt with any hoverboard fires, according to university spokesman Jonathan Morales, but officials want to minimize their risk while also curtailing injuries that may result from hoverboard use.

Though some cities like New York have moved toward outright bans on hoverboards, their use became legal on California streets and bike lanes with legislation enacted Jan. 1.

Hoverboarders, though, must be over 16 years of age, wear a helmet and ride on a road with a speed limit no higher than 35 mph.