New jersey and new york say “no to hoverboards on public transit

NJ TRANSIT recently announced that it will be prohibiting passengers from using or carrying hoverboards on trains and light rail vehicles. The NJ TRANSIT senior public information officer said that the risk of people falling and injuring themselves has become too great to ignore. Moreover, customers and public transit employees have also been deemed at risk of potentially catastrophic injury due to a possible product defect in the batteries used by the hoverboards.

New York MTA Bans Hoverboards

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), New York’s massive public transportation system, has also declared that hoverboards will not be allowed on any form of public transit, including subways, buses and trains and extending from NYC to surrounding areas like Long Island and Staten Island. Anyone caught with a hoverboard while riding on the subway or any MTA rail service will be subject to a fine, as well as possible confiscation of their device.

David Mayer, chief safety officer for the MTA, announced the ban and explained that hoverboards pose a fire risk on trains and buses. Mayer also said that hoverboards are similar to “skateboards or other personal wheeled vehicles, which are generally banned on NYC public transit due to the risk of slip & fall accidents.

Prior to announcing the ban, MTA officials did their due diligence on hoverboard safety and availed themselves of multiple studies, including a study by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration that found that a vast majority of hoverboards on the market today do not have properly certified batteries.

For further information about the NJ and NY hoverboard bans, read The Verge article, “Hoverboards Are Now Banned from New York City Subways, Trains, and Buses.

If you or a loved one has sustained an injury as a result of a slip and fall accident or a defective product, you need to talk to a skilled personal injury and product liability attorney immediately. The experienced Newark NJ Accident Attorneys at Team Law are prepared to help you get compensation for your injuries. Contact us today for a free consultation about your case.