It’s probably the biggest Christmas item since Tickle Me Elmo or Furby, but one thing hoverboards have that those two don’t is the danger of serious injury.
If you’re having flashbacks to “Back to the Future 2,” they’re not that kind of hoverboard. They’re two-wheeled, self-balancing boards that are more like a tiny Segway without handlebars.
Kendall Jenner, Lil Wayne, Justin Bieber and numerous other celebrities have hoverboards, which has made them not only a status symbol, but also the hottest item on children's Christmas lists this year.
They’ve been banned in New York City, and experts have serious concerns about the safety of hoverboards.
If you Google “hoverboard fall,” you’ll get more than 123,000 video results ranging from minor falls to serious accidents. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported eight emergency room visits blamed on hoverboards in three months.
Dr. Brian Winter of the Rothman Institute Orthopaedics in Philadelphia recently performed surgery on a man who fractured his ankle falling from a hoverboard the first time he rode it.
“You could get injuries throughout your body,” he said. “If (you're) not wearing a helmet, (you) could suffer traumatic brain injury.”
He advises wearing a helmet, wrist and knee pads while using a hoverboard. And for beginners it’s best to have someone to spot you, he said.
Hoverboards cost between $400 and $600 and are sold online at sites like Target, eBay, Hoverboard 360 and numerous others.