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It's illegal to ride Swegway 'hover boards' on London's streets

Kate Lloyd
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Kate Lloyd
Contributing writer
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Bad news for Swegway owners: it turns out it's illegal to use the self-balancing scooters on London's streets.

The Metropolitan Police tweeted about the 'hover boards' earlier today, informing the public that they're classified as unlicensed vehicles. This means it's illegal to 'drive' them on the pavement (because they're a vehicle) and on the road (because they're unlicensed). And licensing isn't going to happen anytime soon – the MPS added that the scooters don't currently meet the legal requirements to be approved by the European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval.

In fact, the only place it is legal to ride a Swegway (or any other brand of two-wheeled scooter thingy) is on private property with the landowner's permission. And, the Department for Transport advises that 'appropriate safety clothing should be worn at all times'. Don't have too much fun, guys.

We tested out futurist commuting gadgets earlier this year.

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