Hoverboard ban: Road testing the high-tech, low-rise gadget

Police have ruled that the scooters are too dangerous to be ridden on roads and pavements

There is a carpet shop-cum-barbershop-cum-youth hangout near my flat in east London which spills outside and always seems to be littered with boys on hoverboards.

Every morning as I rush to the station, I come face-to-face with one or two of them speeding across the pavement like giant robot ants, determined to trip me up.

The sight of any adult riding what is essentially a battery-powered skateboard has always appeared mildly ridiculous; commuters riding them in suits? I used to despise them. That was until I tried a hoverboard for myself.

In the name of journalism, electronic store Maplins were able to hook me up with an ever-popular ride-on board – in this instance an Airboard, which will set you back £599 – but not before I’d signed away any hope of suing them for death, destruction or injury.

As someone who still hasn’t fully mastered riding a bike, I was immediately sceptical.

Legal status: Off road or on road?

• Unpowered scooters and skateboards cannot legally be used on pavements, footpaths or cycle tracks as they have no right of way. Local bye-laws can be created banning them.
• Segways are banned from both roads, pavements or cycle tracks so the only place where they can be ridden legally is on private land, with the owner’s consent.
• Cyclists are not allowed to cycle on pavements.
• Rules concerning roller skates are not clear. It has  yet to be established in British case law whether these are legally classed as vehicles or not.

With the aid of a shop assistant, I hesitantly stepped on – and I was away. For several seconds I really was a superhero, with a maximum speed of 10mph I zoomed past shelves and out towards the streets of London like a woman with just no time to use her legs.

I was amazed at how intuitive the board is – to turn a corner it felt like all I had to do was use my mind. In reality, the board is just sensitive enough to veer left or right dependent on pressure. My first and only problem was how to stop – with visions of crowded pavements and busy junctions I froze with the same panic of stopping oneself from a fall, and the board stopped too. This was a revelation.

I contacted someone who dealt with Airboards online. Surprisingly, his father called me back – the expert turning out to be an 11-year-old boy making a profit from importing the products from China.

“My son saw them on television and wanted his own,” said Ahmad Fahmy from Fulham. “I made him a business offer because they’re only going to get more popular.”

Out in the park, strolling families smiled at the sight of me; cyclists struggling up an incline rolled their eyes. With the breeze in my hair and my ride even smooth enough to jot it all down on paper as I go, I was on a high and could envisage my new Jedi lifestyle.Did Mr Fahmy’s son take part in any hoverboard groups, I wondered? Were there clubs I could join?

“No, the product is far too new. Besides, I don’t let him ride them outside – it’s far too dangerous.” The only slight moment of danger I committed was hitting a woman in the arm as I carried the thing down the high street – ever conscious of not breaking the law.