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Hoverboard Fails Bringing 'Dozens' of Chicagoans to Hospitals, Doctor Says

By Alex Nitkin | December 30, 2015 5:42am
 The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 70 hoverboard-related emergency room visits since Friday. At least one doctor thinks the real number could be much higher.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 70 hoverboard-related emergency room visits since Friday. At least one doctor thinks the real number could be much higher.
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CHICAGO — For the hundreds of Chicagoans eager to take a spin on the hoverboards they unwrapped this Christmas, at least one doctor has a simple but urgent plea: Take it slow.

With hoverboard manufacturers still reeling from widespread reports of fires caused by shoddy batteries, social media is already alight with people falling off their new gadgets in spectacular fashion. It seems impossible, whether you're boxing superstar Mike Tyson or a U.S. congressman, to keep from getting tossed from the not-really-hoverboards.

 

#hoverboard #knockout #MikeTysonBreaksBack #imtoooldforthisshit @getcyboard

A video posted by Mike Tyson (@miketyson) on

Even some pro athletes, like Washington Nationals infielder Dan Uggla, have proven they aren't nimble enough to handle the machines.

They're not alone. As of Monday afternoon, the Consumer Product Safety Commission counted 70 hoverboard-related injuries reported across the country since Christmas, CNN Money reported.

Dr. Adam Bennett, an orthopedic specialist at NorthShore Orthopaedic Institute, bets that the real number is much higher.

"I already know of dozens and dozens of cases in Chicago where people have taken these things out of the box, tried to use them and gone to the emergency room," Bennett said. "People treat them like they're sleds or remote-control cars, and they're just taking them right out without learning how to use them."

The most common hoverboard injuries, Bennett said, resemble injuries people sustain after falling on ice: mostly wrist, elbow and foot sprains. Some older patients have even broken hips, he said, after they underestimated the amount of time it takes to get comfortable with the boards.

"This is a new contraption, and the issue is that there's a learning curve that hasn't really been addressed yet," Bennett said.

Would-be boarders should spend at least two days practicing on a flat surface indoors, preferably while holding someone's hand, he said. After they get the feel, they can graduate to smooth ground outdoors.

His own two sons, 12 and 14, got a proper safety rundown when they brought hoverboards from a local mall in October, Bennett said.

"The salesman was able to outline for us this very clear process of how to practice over the course of a couple days, so that you can get better at it," he said. "But when people just order it and get it out of a box, it's awkward and uncomfortable, and they're more likely to end up getting hurt."

That's why the doctor recommends parents send their hoverboarding kids out the same way they do with ice skates or roller blades: with helmets, wrist guards and elbow pads. 

"It will never be without its risks, and I get that helmets and pads may not be that popular," Bennett said. "But the people who just go out there without taking any precautions — those are the people I worry about."

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