Hoverboards are on the top of many people’s Christmas wish lists this year but if you live in New York City it might be best to get your loved one something else. Hoverboards became quite popular after an influx of celebrities were seen gliding all over the internet in them. These high priced motorized scooters are the new “it” gadget to have and they are selling like hotcakes. There are hundreds of models for sale ranging in price from over $200 to $2000 and on Amazon’s Best Sellers List in their Sports and Outdoor section
Hoverboards have officially been deemed illegal in New York City according to the New York City Police Department and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. A DMV spokeswoman had said that under New York State Law’s article 14 “They are not considered motor vehicles so they can not be registered. According to state law, a first violation shall result in no fine, a second or subsequent violation shall result in a civil fine not to exceed “$500”
The only other place that has officially banned hoverboards in public places is in the United Kingdom, where they are still permissible on private property with the property owners permission. According to the Crown Prosecution Service “These wheeled devices are unsafe to be used on the road and on the pavement.” Scooters are illegal to be on the road as they didn’t meet the requirements of the European and British schemes.
There is no legal laws in place in either Los Angelos or public airports yet rapper Wiz Khalifa was very publicly arrested back in August while riding one at LAX. He published a video of his arrest online shortly after. He was eventually released with no charges pending. Hoverboards have become very popular, we can only wonder with a city as big as New York Publicly banning them on the streets will other large cities follow.
