Hoverboard safety tips were probably not on the minds of the millions of people who purchased these popular gifts for Christmas in 2015.
For instance, Ebay sold more than 7,500 hoverboards on Cyber Monday. Since then, thousands more have been sold across the world and we witnessed the birth of a new phenomenon.
Many celebrities have also been photographed on hoverboards, including Mike Tyson, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, and others. So hoverboards can be a lot of fun. However, if you are not careful, you can easily get injured. Here are some tips for keeping safe on hoverboards.
Tip #1 - Learn the right way to get on (and off) a hoverboard
Do not jump on the hoverboard. Approach it clinically and there won't be a problem. Put one feet on the hoverboard, press down and put the next foot on. If you are not able to manage it, hold on to someone or something while you get on. You will need support only for the first few times. Once you get used to it, climbing on the hoverboard will be a breeze. When you want to get off, bring the hoverboard to a halt, step one foot off and repeat with the other leg.
Tip #2 - Use the hoverboard indoors first
Don't take the hoverboard outside unless you have some experience on it. Start indoors, get a few miles under your belt and you should do fine outdoors too. Note that the hoverboard will turn to the side you lean on and this is as complicated as it gets. Do not make any sudden movements because if you do, the hoverboard will start jerking.
Tip #3 - Be careful at first
Hoverboards are cute to look at but looks can be deceptive. These tiny devils are actually quite fast (Street Saw hoverboards can attain speeds of 11 miles per hour). Note that hoverboards don't have brakes so if you try a panic stop, you will probably be thrown off.
Tip #4 - Don't charge your hoverboard unattended
We have embedded high quality Samsung/LG batteries into our hoverboards so there is next to none chances of anything going wrong.
In addition to this, we include UL Listed hoverboard chargers with all of our hoverboards, which are rigorously tested by the UL safety organization.
Still, due to the large size of lithium-ion battery packs included in all hoverboards (44,000 mAh) it is better to be safe than sorry. This is especially true when using a non-UL listed hoverboard charger.
Don't charge your hoverboard unattended and don't charge it overnight. This was also reiterated by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Tip #5 - Be aware of the law
In some places, hoverboards are not allowed by law, like schools, colleges. Some cities have also banned it (New York). So don't use a hoverboard in these places.
If you do, it will probably be confiscated.
You will also have to pay a big fine, for example in New York. So before you ride a hoverboard, see if the law in your area allows you to.
If you follow these hoverboard safety tips, you will be safe when you ride your hoverboard. Happy riding!
