UNL contemplates future of hoverboards on campus
Posted by: Laura Wilson
lwilson@klkntv.com
At least 20 colleges have banned or restricted hoverboard use on their campuses.
The big question now is, will UNL follow suit?
"I think, late last semester, we began wanting to initiate a conversation about this internally to determine if there is a policy that is needed,” said UNL spokesman Steve Smith.
Smith says, to his knowledge, there haven’t been any hoverboard–related complaints, since banning their use inside residence halls.
"I agree they shouldn’t be used in residence halls and classrooms. But if we’re using a wide sidewalk, I don’t understand the problem with that, because people use their bicycles on these sidewalks as well,” said UNL Sophomore Kathryn Budell.
"My friend in the dorms has one,” said UNL freshman Kyle Upp.
“He leaves with far less time than I do, but he gets there quicker. I don’t see it as a problem at all,” Upp added.
But UNL administrators say it’s an issue of safety.
"Safety on the sidewalk and campus pathways is one concern,” said Smith.
“Another concern is some of the news stories we’ve seen of certain brands having some difficulties with the batteries and some of the troubles that they’ve had with those, that the Fire Marshall is very interested in,” Smith explained.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says it’s investigating about 30 fires across the country, tied to hoverboards.
None of those have been reported from UNL’s campus.
Smith says administrators are in the very early stages of deciding whether or not hoverboards are too dangerous for campus sidewalks.
"Like most trends that you see, we want to try and get out ahead of it before we do have any major injuries or major problems with them.”
Any campus restrictions likely wouldn’t go into effect until next semester.
