Hoverboards are rolling their way in a blaze of glory to join the ranks of banned items in residence halls, but according to Wisconsin State Statute 18.10.5, it is already illegal to operate them on university grounds.

The Residence Hall Association is considering different proposals to ban the devices, also known as self-balancing boards, in campus residence halls. One proposal would ban all self-balancing devices in residence halls and another would prevent them from being stored in bike lockers. Maya Grueneberg, a Brockert Hall RHA representative, said that right now these are only proposals.

“Once approved, [the proposals] will be passed to the Student Senate for review,” Grueneberg said.

UW-Platteville Interim Police Chief Jason Williams said he questions where hoverboards are being legally ridden, because operating them on university grounds is already illegal.

Wisconsin Statute 18.10.5 states, “No person shall operate an unauthorized motor vehicle or motorized device, including motorcycles, mopeds, motor scooters and self-balancing transportation devices, off designated roadways, paved or unpaved, or on service roads or pedestrian paths, regardless of the surface, on university lands.”

Williams said that this statute has been in place since 2008, and that “this is nothing new.”

The cost of a citation can be as much as $263.50, Williams said, but he also said that a verbal warning would be more likely.

“Just like everything else on this campus, we like to educate first,” Williams said.

Williams also noted that hoverboards are illegal to use on public roads. “The only place you could really use them is in your private driveway,” Williams said.

Potential operating accidents are not the only concern; hoverboards have been reported to pose a fire hazard as well.

ABC News, for example, has reported cases of fires caused by hoverboards across the country. On Jan. 9, two teenagers in Tenessee realized their hoverboard was on fire. According to abcnews.go.com, the fire was started in the battery compartment of the Fiturbo F1 hoverboard and the fire ended up causing major damage to the home.

Another incident occured in a mall in Houston, Texas. According to abc13.com, in this case the hoverboard caught fire and exploded.

UW-Platteville is not the only campus considering further restricting hoverboard use and storage. The Wisconsin State Journal reported at host.madison.com that both UW-Madison and Madison Area Technical College have told students they are not allowed to operate hoverboards on campus, but they are still allowed to use them on city property as well as store them in the residence halls. The Wisconsin State Journal also reported that Edgewood College does not prohibit the use of hoverboards.

A number of possible fire hazards are already prohibited according to the Residence Hall Handbook 2015-16, including items such as incense, halogen lighting, fireworks and other flammable or incendiary devices.

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