Car Surfing Somehow Linked to Grand Theft Auto

Posted by Jacob Lopez on 07.22.2009

Don't stand on moving cars.

A recent study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery takes an in-depth look at the phenomenon known as car surfing, in which Darwin Award Candidates try to stand on a moving car.

Needless to say, it doesn't always end well for our daring wannabe stuntmen. It turns out, that neurosurgeons have concluded that the increase in car surfers is linked to Grand Theft Auto and YouTube clips.

According to the study, there was a steady rise in Car Surfing accidents starting back in 2000. Because it corresponds to the release of the 3D GTA games (the top-down versions are a different story), and Jackass, as well as YouTube videos.

The study further finds that deaths related to Car Surfing increased from 2004 to 2005, along the time that San Andreas was released and YouTube boomed into popular culture.

Dr. Ann-Christine Duhaime, in an editorial accompanying the report,"People do stupid things, and adolescents do some of the stupidest...It is well documented that children and adolescents imitate what they see in the media, even when this is deleterious to their health."


Credit: Los Angeles Times

The journal if you care to read it: Here