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Peralta to introduce legislation to legalize hoverboards

hoverboardDec. 28, 2015 By Michael Florio

State Senator Jose Peralta is looking to legalize and regulate hoverboards.

Peralta, along with Councilman Andy King from the Bronx, will hold a news conference on the steps of City Hall tomorrow, to discuss legislation that would legalize the popular self-balancing scooter known as a hoverboard.

The hoverboard is prohibited from use in New York City because they are considered to be a motorized vehicle that cannot be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Peralta told the Daily News earlier this month that the city is doing this to make money from fines.

“This is all about raising money and increasing their ticket quotas,” he told the Daily News earlier this month. “It’s completely unnecessary.”

“Talk to me about delivery food scooters and other things we should be addressing,” he added. “But a hoverboard that goes less than 8 mph? It’s

Jose Peralta

Jose Peralta

ridiculous.”

Under Peralta’s bill the hoverboard would not be considered a motorized vehicle.

“There is no evidence to suggest that an all-out ban on hoverboards is in the public interest,” Peralta said in a statement.

“Commonsense dictates that safety regulations promulgated by the State or its municipal subdivisions, and specifically tailored to the address both the benefit and harm of this technology, is the logical next step forward.”

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Anonymous

Yea, outlaw something that doesn’t exist, because these are not hoverboards. They roll on wheels.

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migwar

This is a misguided attempt by an elected official to add to his popularity by proposing legislation that would legalize a dangerous “fad” toy that can catch fire when not even turned on and can and will wreak havoc on our sidewalks and streets. Instead of encouraging enforcement of the laws that are designed to protect us, especially pedestrians, such as the laws that prohibit electrified bicycles anywhere in public and the riding of ordinary bicycles on sidewalks by anyone over the age of fourteen years, this legislator will be introducing legislation that panders to those who would cause injury and house fires. It’s ridiculous.

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J

So.. where exactly will people be able to ride them? Not sure I want a bunch of people riding these on the sidewalks.

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