It is common to notice
youngsters having fun with smart balance wheels, also called hoverboards. It
has become a craze among children across the UAE.
Unfortunately, most of
them do not realise that these fun gadgets could be dangerous, too. It is hard
to balance on these vehicles. Most children frequently lose control over the
movement of the hoverboards. Consequently, they slip off it and get injured. There
have been many cases in which children have fractured their limbs or sprained
their ankles.
To top it all off,
children ride them on the roadside, without realising the fatal consequences.
Recently a six-year old child was run over by a car in Abu Dhabi while he was using
a hoverboard. The injuries caused by this dangerous vehicle have increased
significantly during the recent months.
Most of these children
are too young to understand the dangers. They enjoy using the hoverboard. Parents
are the ones who need to take special precautions. They should make sure that
the child wears helmets as well as elbow and knee pads while riding.
These cases have
increased so much that the authorities have decided to intervene. They have already
banned hoverboard in the malls as well as footpaths and roads, in Dubai. I am
pleased that the government is taking such precautions for the well-being of
young children.
(Published in Gulf News on January 11, 2016)
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