Purdue to study safety of electric skateboards, scooters

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue University plans to study the safety of electric skateboards and scooters in response to a rash of serious injuries on campus.

Purdue President Mitch Daniels said Monday the study would look at “the extreme safety issues” posed by electric skateboards, scooters and other personal electric vehicles. He said one student recently suffered a near-fatal accident while using an electric skateboard.

Daniels says a task force will propose new policies for electric vehicles and study whether those should also include traditional, human-powered skateboards and bicycles.

The panel is expected to look at possible speed limits, restrictions on hours of operation and helmet requirements, The Journal & Courier reports.

Purdue says campus police have received more than a dozen reports of serious personal injury accidents since the school year started.