The self-balancing hoverboards, loved by several superstars such as Missy Elliot and Justin Bieber are banned on Australian roads.

Duncan Gay, the NSW minister for roads is concerned that the sheer number of these gadgets — popularly referred to as self-balancing scooters and balance boards — likely to be unwrapped this festive period.He released a statement on Tuesday stating that the gadget is not allowed on any road or footpath and can only be used indoors.

For those that don’t know what this device is, Gay explains that they are the new contraptions that appear like a skateboard with 2 wheels and no handle.

As a matter of fact, you could incur a cash fine for riding these hoverboards on a Sydney highway. There is a penalty of A$319 (US$229) for riding them on footpaths and a fine of A$637 (US$458) for riding them on a Sydney highway.

Australia is taking after the United Kingdom on this. The London Metropolitan Police issue a statement a couple of months ago let people know that it is not legal to ride these hoverboards in public.

I do not wish to be the Christmas Grinch, however, I want everyone to understand that the new gadget are not really safe as explained by Gay. He stated that even though these boards could travel at 26 kilometers/hour, they do not have perfectly effective breaks and have no warning lights.

We are uncertain if anyone has incurred the fine as of now in the state; however, the police have been contacted to make comments on the issue at hand.