Get in the Know

What is Car Surfing? 

…a really bad idea
Some teens and even a few adults have tried car surfing -- riding on the outside of a car or truck or holding onto a car while riding in a shopping cart, on top of a skateboard, on skates or on a bike. That’s just crazy!Whatever people ride while car surfing, you should know that this is extremely dangerous.

• Just because you might see a video of these stunts on YouTube or TV, that doesn’t make it a good idea.
  
  
• Thrill-seekers have died while car surfing. A recent *study of news reports between 1990 and 2008, counted 58 deaths and 41 non-fatal injuries that resulted from car surfing.
  
  
• Think twice and don’t try it. What seems like an adrenaline rush or harmless fun could be deadly.
  
  
• Be aware of the potent consequences of car surfing. You can get hurt or killed even at low vehicle speeds. Overall, it’s just a bad idea, right?
  
  
• Think it doesn’t happen here? Think again. Wendy Bieberle of Winter Park, Florida, lost her 18-year-old son, Cameron, to a car surfing accident on March 8th last year. Wendy tells us her story…

Cameron had recently watched the move “Jackass” with his friends. They were at an apartment complex where some shopping carts had been left out. He decided to go for a fun ride using one of the shopping carts while holding onto the side of a car in motion. The driver was going approximately 30 mph and drove over a speed bump. Unfortunately, Cameron couldn’t hold on, and he crashed. My son died at the scene from massive head injuries. It broke my heart!

Being a safe driver – whether you're a teen or not – means having the right info to make the right choices. For example, did you know you can get a ticket if everybody in your car isn't wearing a seat belt? Or that many teen accidents are caused by messing with the radio? It's true. Here's some info that can save your cash, your car and maybe even your life.

>>Get in the Know About...Driving with Care

>>Get in the Know About…Driving Stats
      
>>Get in the Know About…Consequences of Bad Driving

>>Get in the Know About…Do's and Don'ts

>>Get in the Know About...Beating Peer Pressure

You can find the Florida Teen Driver's Guide and other safe driving tips at http://www.flhsmv.gov/teens/index.html