Photo: David Dee Delgado / Getty Images News / Getty Images
A recent study by NYU Langone Health has taken a closer look at subway surfing victims in New York City, focusing on the injuries sustained by ten teenagers who survived these incidents between 2018 and 2025. The study found that 60% of these victims had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although the authors caution that this does not imply a direct correlation between the disorder and subway surfing.
The research, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, is the first of its kind in the U.S. to explore subway surfing injuries. According to Gothamist, the study analyzed records of 43 patients under 21 who were treated at Bellevue Hospital for subway-related trauma. Of these, ten were injured while subway surfing, and all were male teenagers.
Eveline Teresa Hidalgo, a senior author of the study and pediatric neurosurgeon at NYU and Bellevue, emphasized the severity of the injuries, which included fractures, limb amputations, and life-altering head injuries. "You can have brain injuries. You might not be able to recover from this," she said, as reported by NY1.
The study also highlights the efforts of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the New York Police Department to curb subway surfing. The MTA has worked with city officials to urge social media platforms like Meta and TikTok to ban videos of subway surfing. Additionally, the MTA has piloted installing barriers between subway cars to prevent climbing, and the NYPD has deployed drones to monitor elevated train tracks.
Despite these efforts, subway surfing remains a dangerous trend. The NYPD reported 185 arrests for subway surfing this year, a 12% increase from the previous year. The study's authors hope their findings will help prevent future injuries by raising awareness of the risks associated with subway surfing.
Photo Credit: Getty Images