OCEAN CITY — It appears likely a ban of some sort on hoverboards will be implemented on the Boardwalk at some point, but resort officials are still wrestling with how to neatly define them in the law.
The Police Commission on Monday renewed its discussion on the potentially dangerous hoverboards, which started making an increased presence on the Boardwalk last summer, prompting an effort to somehow regulate them. The issue has been discussed at different times at the committee level and is being explored by various departments, including the Ocean City Police Department and the Fire Marshal’s Office.
The latter is conducting an investigation into certain models of hoverboards that have shown a propensity to catch fire. In a larger sense, Ocean City officials are concerned with the proliferation of yet another vaguely defined vehicle on a Boardwalk already often crowded with pedestrians, bicycles, surreys, Segways and all manner of modes of transportation.
“We have a couple of concerns,” OCPD Chief Ross Buzzuro told the transportation committee on Monday. “One is their erratic use and the other is the fire hazard issue. The Fire Marshal is looking into the latter and we will defer to his office on the issue of them potentially catching fire, but that still leaves the erratic use issue.”
The State of Maryland defines hoverboards essentially the same as Segways as an electric personal assistive mobility device, or EPAMD, with two non-tandem wheels, self-balancing, and powered by an electric propulsion system with a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour.
They are offered by a handful of different manufacturers and some have been deemed safer than others. Last year, the hoverboards were offered for sale by some retailers in the resort and for rent by some traditional rental businesses. Their proliferation on the Boardwalk will likely continue, according to Mayor Rick Meehan.
“As one who spends a lot of time up that Boardwalk, I can tell you they are already a problem and it’s only going to get worse,” he said. “As they become readily available and the price goes down, we’re going to see more and more of them up there.”
Hoverboards have been loosely compared to Segways, essentially without the handle, but as the price comes down and they become increasingly available, they will likely blow past Segways in popularity and likely already have, according to Council President Lloyd Martin.
“How many people got Segways for Christmas? A couple?” he said. “Then look at how many got hoverboards. They are going to be all over the place.”
The Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) was invited to participate in this week’s informal discussion at the police commission and the organization is currently forming its own opinions about the proliferation of hoverboards.
“We don’t have a formal position,” said the OCDC Past President Bob Givarz, also a Boardwalk business owner. “We do have concerns about their proliferation. We’re going to have bikes, surreys, skateboards, trikes and all manner of vehicles and we need to find out where these fit in our definition of motorized vehicles. What comes next? There is always going to be something new.”
Councilman and Police Commission liaison Doug Cymek said the resort would have to think creatively on an effective way to regulate hoverboards.
“We’re going to have to be creative,” he said. “We have to call them something other than vehicles.”
