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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, October 17, 2008

'Car surfing' wipeouts usually result in death

Attention teenagers: Cars are not surfboards and roads aren't waves.

At least that's the word from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which yesterday branded "car surfing" a dangerous activity that should be avoided.

The CDC released an analysis of car surfing injuries that show teens are getting injured or killed by riding outside of moving vehicles, or what is known by some as car surfing.

The CDC researchers said they looked at 18 years of news reports and found that of 99 reported incidents, 58 were fatal.

"While car surfing may be appealing to teens and others, our recommendation is simple — don't do it," said Dr. John Halpin, the study's author.

"Even a vehicle moving at a slow speed can be deadly."

The analysis found:

• The average age of those injured or killed was 17.6 years.

• Most car surfing injuries occurred in August.

• The Midwest and South is where three-quarters of the incidents occurred.

• In almost a third of the cases, the car surfer was injured when the car driver made a sudden movement or maneuver, such as braking or abruptly turning.

The report found that most of the car surfing deaths were caused by a blow or bump to the head.