Why it's so hard to know if your hoverboard is safe

Hoverboards are the hottest toy of the holiday season, literally.

The meteoric rise of hoverboards — the technically inaccurate catch-all term for self-balancing electric skateboards — has been marred by a recent controversy over their safety. There have been many reports in recent weeks of hoverboards catching fire and causing significant property damage.

The devices that have caught fire are generally thought to be cheap knockoff devices, though a hoverboard from Swagway — one of the better-known hoverboard makers — purchased online from Modell's Sporting Goods caught fire in a Chappaqua, New York home, according to the Chappaqua Fire Department. Read more...