South Carolina colleges differing on hoverboard policies

Coastal Carolina University banned hoverboards from its dorms last month after reports nationwide of their batteries catching fire, and the University of South Carolina has followed suit.

CCU officials sent out a notice to students and staff on Dec. 22 banning “hoverboards, hover gliders, Segways, IO Hawks, skywalkers, skateboards and other comparable means of recreational transportation” from inside campus buildings, according to spokeswoman Martha Hunn.

Horry Georgetown Technical College, however, does not have any policies regarding the motorized boards, said spokeswoman Mary Eaddy.

“We haven’t seen any hoverboards on campus and we do not have a policy on them,” she said.

USC banned the motorized boards to avoid possible collisions inside the college’s 26 residence halls, spokesman Jeff Stensland said Wednesday.

USC does not know how many students use hoverboards, but they have been spotted on campus this year. The school has no reports of major incidents involving the boards that range in price generally from $250 to $600.

A tweet posted Wednesday by the university said the hoverboard ban took effect Jan. 1. USC already bans motorized vehicles — such as mopeds — inside residence halls.

“We wanted to get information out specifically on hoverboards since they’ve been a popular holiday gift item this year,” Stensland said. “The best advice for returning students living on campus is to leave them at home.”

USC administrators are considering a campuswide ban, Stensland said. Other schools — including the University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University and American University — prohibit hoverboards on campus.

Hoverboards have been a focus of attention in recent months because of battery fires, which triggered an investigation by the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission.

A hoverboard caused a small fire inside a Mauldin home in December, authorities said. A teen who received a hoverboard for Christmas had just finished charging his board when its batteries reportedly exploded and flew about 20 feet across the living room. No one was injured.

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 5:33 PM with the headline "South Carolina colleges differing on hoverboard policies."