If you're in the UK and have been cruising around on those ever so popular self-balancing 'hoverboards', then you've been violating a law that's nearly two centuries old. The news comes courtesy of The Independent, which published a detailed breakdown of the legislation.
According to Section 72 of the Highway Act 1835 in England and Wales, personal transporters such as these are subject to road traffic laws. Which indicates that riders must secure a license and registration to operate the vehicles on public roads.
The paper says that additional legislation passed in 1988 outlawed the riding of scooters as well, which means that the contraptions can only be operated on private land with the consent of the land owner.
The official legal text reads:
"If any person shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers; or shall wilfully lead or drive any horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle or carriage of any description, or any truck or sledge, upon any such footpath or causeway; or shall tether any horse, ass, mule, swine, or cattle, on any highway, so as to suffer or permit the tethered animal to be thereon" they can be fined according to a standard scale of charges and will be liable for any damage that they cause."
These 'hoverboards' (which are actually two-wheeled scooters) have caught on in popularity in the last few years. Once seen as a novelty, their growing popularity on British roads has lead local law enforcement to tweet out this warning to aspiring riders:
Own one of these or thinking about getting one? They're illegal to ride in public! Info here: https://t.co/We85yLAzsU pic.twitter.com/vMm0hxNAjs
— MPS Specials (@MPSSpecials) October 11, 2015
