Imitating popular video games and television shows, teens are engaging in a dangerous recreational activity known as car surfing or ghost riding. Serious injuries occur when these kids, standing on the roof, hood or trunk of a moving vehicle, accidentally fall off, as described in a July 2009 online article published by the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. Investigators at trauma centers catalog these serious neurological injuries and work to understand the cultural and geographic trends which have made this activity popular in certain areas.

The "sport" of car surfing or ghost riding originated in Oakland, California as an expression of a form of the hip hop movement called "Hyphy" in which participants dance or act in an exaggerated or ridiculous manner. In this sub-culture, acting out, or as it is called, "getting stupid" is a behavior which distinguishes the individual and emboldens him with a sense of pride. Parents of young drivers need to be on constant alert for any evidence of teen reckless driving behavior to avert a disaster.

The act of car surfing involves a passenger hanging out of a moving vehicle or pretending to surf on the hood, roof, or trunk. In a recent study of 6 injured children which were ages 11-16, four experienced prolonged neurological complications including headaches, emotional instability and impaired impulse control after sustaining skull fractures. Peaks in injuries associated with car surfing occurred after the releases of each edition of Grand Theft Auto and the Jackass television show and movie. The predilection of children toward "getting stupid" as is reflected in the head injury rate is steadily increasing, no doubt stimulated by the posting and viewing of these stunts on You Tube and other social networking websites.