A lot of teenagers will do nearly anything for a thrill. One of these thrills is not new, but it's getting a lot of attention- Car Surfing. Car surfing teens can be seen on YouTube and have spread like wildfire on social networking sites. As with many dangerous behaviors, teens don't often consider the repercussions of their actions.
Last year a Kewaunee, Wisconsin teenager was seriously injured after a car surfing accident in a parking lot. The driver and passenger were convicted of misdemeanors for their role in the incident. Others accident victims have not been as fortunate.
"It feels like I'm in a dream," said Craig Doolittle, whose son died in a skitching accident. "I can't believe this has happened.
Skitching is a form of car surfing, where a skateboarder holds onto the back of a car in motion. Another popular and dangerous activity is "ghost riding" where the driver gets out of the car and rides on top. Though no death or injury statistics are available for these two related activities, the CDC reports that between 1990 and 2008, 58 people were killed while car surfing and 41 were injured.
If you have not talked to your teen about this dangerous behavior please do so. We have reported on the dangers of other teen driving behaviors and will continue to bring you the latest news on the subject. As personal injury attorneys we have seen far too many teenagers injured in car accidents that could have easily been avoided. Please talk with your teen, it just may save their life.