Signal_4: Hoverboard in NYC— — A Flash in a Pan That Deserves a Better Result

In late 2014, Hoverboard(self-balancing scooter) became a big hit. A lot of celebrities started using it, like Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, etc. Many athletes were in love with this product as well, some NBA players instead of walking through the player tunnel like they used to, choose to ride a hoverboard. As a result of the celebrity effect, more and more people became users of this product.

As we all know, this popularity didn’t last long in NYC. Out of safety concerns, hoverboards are banned in NYC in late 2015. The main reason for this ban is that since it can go really fast, there are no regulations and permit needed for riding this product.

However, are hoverboards really deserve to be banned forever? Everyone knows the traffic in NYC is terrible and subways during rush hours are always overcrowded. The functionality of hoverboards is more than enough to “drive” new yorkers go to work and come back home. After many people switch to use hoverboards to go to work, the pressure of traffic flow and subway system during rush hours would be reduced. In addition, since hoverboards only use electricity, it probably will improve our environment by reducing the CO2 emissions. So, I think the answer to the question asked above is — No, not necessarily. We can try to come up with some regulations and policies that can avoid those safety issues of riding a hoverboard.

Now let’s talk about how should we make regulations in order to keep users safe. The first thing comes into my mind is that when riding a hoverboard, all users must wear helmets like when we are riding a bike. Also, the government could set a speed limit for riding hoverboards and requires hoverboards can only operate on the pedestrian area, not on the road where vehicles operate, etc.

In conclusion, I really think with some well-thought-out regulations and limitations, hoverboards could be a really suitable tool for new yorkers.