Electric Skateboards have become more and more popular in the recent past. Mainly due to quickly being able to get from A to B without public transport or even driving a car.
But what many don’t consider is the safety issues that occur from riding on one of these battery powered boards. Arguably, the standard safety issues that become apparent from electric longboard skateboards are the same safety issues that surround skateboarding on a non-electric skateboard.
Accidents
As with any manual mode of transport, whether it be skateboards, bikes or even scooters, accidents are always bound to occur. The accidents can include encountering bumps in the road, the skateboard taking off before you are ready or even crashing into pedestrians or cars. Therefore, with some electronic skateboards capable of reaching speeds of up to 20km/h, it is no surprise that wearing sensible safety gear is recommended.
Frequency
Also, to use electric skateboards, in most cases you need a wireless remote. However, although convenient when riding there is the potential for this to be a problem. There have been some instances where hacking incidents have caused the riders to be thrown off their board. And often, the cause of this is the remote disconnecting.
Fire
Furthermore, surprisingly, in 2017 one of the leading electric skateboard brands Boosted had to recall their 2nd Generation Boosted Dual+. This meant over 3,000 of their customers in the US, and one hundred in Canada had to return their electric skateboards.
The recall was down to an overheating battery which has the potential of being a fire hazard. However, fortunately, there were no reported fire incidents. Although there were two reports of boards smoking, one of which reported the battery melting!
Although as of yet there have been no reported fires from electric skateboards. It is essential when owning one to regularly check the condition of the board itself, especially the battery.
Skateboards VS Electric Skateboards
On the other hand, you could say that electric skateboards are safer than regular skateboards. This is as you have control of the speed which is useful when in crowded areas. Furthermore, as you do not have to push off there is the possibility that you are more likely to stay on the board. This is as you do not require one foot to leave the board to move.
Conclusion
Overall, although investing in a electric skateboard may seem like a really good idea. Consider whether you are capable of riding a manual skateboard first. This is as having strong core balance is equally as important for both.
Furthermore, have a read of the 7 common mistakes to avoid when buying electric skateboards. Because contrary to belief, buying a electric skateboard isn’t as simple as buying a standard skateboard. There are many factors that need to be considered.