Hover Boards - CAUTION! Serious health alert.....

[BigN8]

If you are over the age of 16 don't,....... I REPEAT DON'T get on a freaking hover board!!!

Holy shit. Thought I had the thing figured out and the next thing I know my wife is helping me off the kitchen floor. I've got a knot on the back of my head the size of a golf ball and a knot on the side of my head the size of a golf ball! Plus 2 bruised elbows. I've got a concussion which has made me feel kind of light headed and drunk all day since the accident.

 

[HawkTX]

My wife went to school with a woman who posted up some pics on Facebook after she fell off one today. It's gross, but here is the pic she posted.

 

[Ronnie]

I bought my son one for his birthday a month ago. Before giving it to him I charged and tried to test it. Got on it and immediately started rocking back and forth quickly within a range of six inches, didn't even get the wheels to make a full rotation. Got off before I fell off or was forced to jump off at speed. I've used it successfully since but always have my son around to spot me. I think I'm most worried about falling off and hurting my wrist or wrists breaking fall, similar to a snow boarding injury I suffered once.

 

[Britboater]

Some pretty awful reports with accidents from these balance boards, but no more than skate boards.
Hope your ok, kids should wear helmet, pads etc, but it's just not cool, so there lies the problem .

 

[BigN8]

Woke up this morning with bad vertigo. I can barely stand when the lights are off. Plus my neck is stiff as shit. I feel like I have been in a car crash.

 

[Ronnie]

One of the news stories last night reviewed three new hover board laws that go into effect here in CA on January 1, 2016:

1. Operators must be at least 16 years old.
2. Operators must wear a helmet.
3. Operation on the road prohibited (i.e., Don't expect to jump in traffic with it next to compacts and semis).

I'm not too concerned with my son's use as he just tools around the block with his but I can cite the new laws to force him to wear a helmet.

This looks like another set of rules resulting from the public's increased access to tech that has been around for a few years now. Think about it, hover boards are just segways without handle bars. Segways haven't been heavily regulated (at least not that I know of) but you don't read or hear of many Segway related injuries or problems, I assume it's because not many people have or can afford them. They were $8k when they first came out and I see used ones online going for $1,500 +.

@BigN8 , if I had your symptoms I'd make an appointment to see my MD. Soreness is one thing but vertigo combined with increased light sensitivity sounds a lot more serious.

 

[HawkTX]

Woke up this morning with bad vertigo. I can barely stand when the lights are off. Plus my neck is stiff as shit. I feel like I have been in a car crash.

You should probably go get checked out just to be safe.

 

[txav8r]

Segways were not dangerous like the hoverboard seems to be. They rent segways to the public for tours all over the world. A quick training about and off you go. Those are more akin to the above mentioned skateboard...but WAY more unstable. Sorry for the tumble @BigN8 and hope you get well quick with no lasting side effects, and do see the Dr.! Public availability of tech is far ahead of public awareness of safety needed to own such tech. The thrill seekers will want them, and there will be deaths...and some will argue it is worth it and it is their right to decide. It is kind of like that tube that was banned, don't you think? Guys still argue it's merit too. I realize that my view from a perspective of age, is very different than that of someone that does not yet know or see their mortality. Regardless, wear a freaking helmut and pads, because it won't be if, but rather when, you fall.

 

[Bruce]

@BigN8, I agree with those suggesting you seek medical attention. Bleeding or swelling in the brain can go bad quickly.

I added "Hover Board" to the thread title hoping that would help to get your message out.

 

[BigN8]

Thanks for the well wishes guys. I'm just going to monitor how I feel and if anything gets or feels worse then go to doc. Basically I have a slight concussion. There isn't much that can be done for that. I tell you this, these hover boards are going to become a big story. Everyone I tell my story too either has done the same thing or knows someone who has ate shit trying to ride or get on one. I can ride a surf board, a skate board, etc., but these little things are completely different. Just when you feel like you are good they will bite you in the ass.

 

[Lextacy03]

Wife is a x - ray tech and said that since Christmas they see 8 accidents a day from those things.

 

[Scottintexas]

funny you should mention these, the other problem is they are catching on fire, In my business we fill out the papers to declare merchandise for the customs service to allow it into the U.S. We are now automatically telling people who call us (usually small mall kiosk resellers who order off of alibaba or ebay) that we don't even want to be involved and they should call someone else. They are finding a lot of them have a U.L. labeling but the factory is not registered or U.L. authorized.

BigN8 sorry for your accident,

 

[BigN8]

My wife went to school with a woman who posted up some pics on Facebook after she fell off one today. It's gross, but here is the pic she posted.

Man I feel like I hit hard, but this poor lady must have really hit HARD! I feel bad for her. That is a gruesome pic.

 

[Volffas]

Mike Tyson got one for Christmas. Here is the video of him wiping out. Thankfully he wasn't hurt too bad and was a good sport to post it on his instagram page.

 

[Bruce]

Another wipeout with some NSFW language.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1685952578353656

 

[BigN8]

Yep! That's pretty much what I did.

 

[Julian]

Amazon is recalling a bunch of them due to the fire hazard, and I saw a news clip last night on issues with riding them safely. All I recall from that video is the instructor saying, always step back off them not forward....not sure how that helps!

@BigN8 your injury doesn't sound like something I'd monitor at home. Concussions with light sensitivity and balance issues could be signs of more serious brain injury.

 

[BigN8]

Amazon is recalling a bunch of them due to the fire hazard, and I saw a news clip last night on issues with riding them safely. All I recall from that video is the instructor saying, always step back off them not forward....not sure how that helps!

@BigN8 your injury doesn't sound like something I'd monitor at home. Concussions with light sensitivity and balance issues could be signs of more serious brain injury.

Thanks @Julian , would the fact that I'm still crushing my opponents at Trivia Crack be any indication that my noodle is functioning alright?!

Just in case anyone wants to play my handle is bigdaddyn8.

 

[swatski]

One of the news stories last night reviewed three new hover board laws that go into effect here in CA on January 1, 2016:

1. Operators must be at least 16 years old.
2. Operators must wear a helmet.
3. Operation on the road prohibited (i.e., Don't expect to jump in traffic with it next to compacts and semis).

I'm not too concerned with my son's use as he just tools around the block with his but I can cite the new laws to force him to wear a helmet.

This looks like another set of rules resulting from the public's increased access to tech that has been around for a few years now. Think about it, hover boards are just segways without handle bars. Segways haven't been heavily regulated (at least not that I know of) but you don't read or hear of many Segway related injuries or problems, I assume it's because not many people have or can afford them. They were $8k when they first came out and I see used ones online going for $1,500 +.

@BigN8 , if I had your symptoms I'd make an appointment to see my MD. Soreness is one thing but vertigo combined with increased light sensitivity sounds a lot more serious.

I don't know @Ronnie, never done a hover board but taken few Segway tours, like in Washington, DC and such - find these Segways to be surprisingly stable even for a complete newb! Just saying. But I was the biggest danger to passers by!

 

[Ronnie]

In retro spect, Even though hover boards and segways have the same basic components (two electrically powered wheels built into a board the operator stands on), I agree hover boards are much more difficult to ride than segways because directional control is completely dependent on the balance of the operator (angle of the operator's ankles) on a hover board unlike a Segway in which leaning only controls backward and forward motion and steering left and right is controlled by a thumb switch on the handle bars which can also be used to support/stabilize the operator.

Consider this, hover boards have been around for months now, segways and electric scooters/razors for years, skateboards have been around for decades and bikes centuries. My point being that all of these things are just as dangerous to use now as when they were first introduced but in most cases we don't have specific laws governing their use. For example, Bikes have a terrible accident / injury record but operators are not required to be at least 16 years old. My sons electric razor is faster than his hoverboard but there are no restrictions on its use. Skateboards were already in fashion when I started riding them in the late 70s so I don't recall any laws or rules governing their use. The exception being requiring minors to wear a helmet when biking which didn't become mandatory until long after I got out of college. Now that hover boards are affordable by the masses starting at around $250 each, there are bound to be more accidents and injuries but shouldn't the governmeant simply allow the public to assume the risks of buying and using such products as has been done with all of the other products I mentioned or is it acceptable In the case of hover board to let the government make laws to protect us from ourselves?
On the bright side if there is one, my son jumped at the idea of wearing a helmet as long as He is still allowed to use his hover board before he turns 16.

I may just be miffed at having just bought this thing for my son and now being subjected to laws which make it illegal for him to use a hover board until he is 16 (3 years out). It doesn't help that I also just registered with the FAA as a"drone operator", after flying rc helis for over a decade and "drones" for about two years now with no registration requirements until very recently.

Lastly, I don't know who the hover board laws are supposed to protect since all the teenagers I've seen using them are like pros at it. Older or over weight users seem to be most prone to getting injured riding or attempting to ride a hover board. IMHO there would be less injuries if the law stated that you need to be 16 or younger to buy and use a hover board.