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NYC Council Member Wants To Make Hoverboards Legal On Sidewalks
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 20, 2015
Modified Nov 20, 2015
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 20, 2015
Modified Nov 20, 2015
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Earlier this week we revealed that "hoverboards" are illegal in NYC under NY State Law, which declares them to be motor vehicles that cannot be registered. This means you can own a "hoverboard," but you cannot operate it.
There's a definite gray area here, since this is new technology and the NYPD may not be actively enforcing a law that makes them illegal to operate. In fact, in the below video, shot earlier this week, you'll see an NYPD officer declare that they are legal. So now Councilman Andy King is proposing a bill that would regulate them even further and clarify when/where/if they can be operated in NYC.
The councilman's press office sent out a release regarding the proposed legislation, which would ban "hoverboards" from NYC streets... even though they technically already are banned. "The recent spike in popularity of these devices, coupled with the growing safety concerns, creates a regulatory grey area that should be addressed swiftly," King said. “The hover boards should have the same status as mobile chairs and should not be operated on the roads alongside cars, buses and trucks. It’s a safety issue."
King says his proposal, which is still being drafted, would allow "hoverboards" on sidewalks, and in parks and playgrounds, but would ban them from the roadway and bike lanes—"I want to clear up any questions where you can use them. You can use them on sidewalks, in the playground, but not in the bike lane, not in the street" (according to his proposal; currently they are illegal on the sidewalks and in parks). They should be viewed as a recreational novelty, King believes, not as a mode of transportation.
King also points out that long-term use of hover boards doesn’t promote a healthy lifestyle: “Riding a hover board decreases physical activity. In the long run, walking is more beneficial for your heart and lungs than riding a hover board all day." To illustrate this point, King suggested we rewatch Wall-E, where humanity relocated to a spaceship and everyone became obese after relying on hoverchairs as a mode of transportation.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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