U.S. federal health officials warned teenagers about the dangers of car surfing, which involves a person performing stunts on the roof, trunk or on the hood of a vehicle while another one is driving.

Studies conducted in the past disclosed that videos showing car surfing and posted on the Internet led to an increased popularity of urban surfing (as car surfing is also called).

As written in a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, starting 1990, at least 58 people had died while riding on the outside of a moving vehicle.

The figure is based on all articles about car surfing that appeared in U.S. newspapers between January 1990 and August 2008. There are 31 U.S. states in which injuries or deaths of people practicing the “sport” have been reported, especially in the Midwest and the South. Of the 58 car surfing victims, 45 died due to head injuries, the report said.

Considering the shocking situation, health officials decided to warn young people about the risks urban surfing poses. “We strongly recommend that teens not engage in this type of behavior. It's just too risky. It's just too dangerous," Dr. John Halpin, M.D., the study’s lead author said in a telephone interview.

According to a press release, the car surfing-related incidents were reported at a wide variety of vehicle speeds, from roughly 5 mph up to about 80 mph.