A recent study by NYU Langone Health analyzed injuries among teenage subway surfing victims treated at Bellevue Hospital from 2018 to 2025, revealing severe trauma such as fractures, limb amputations, and significant head injuries.
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The study focused on 10 survivors, averaging 15 years old, with 60% having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although no direct correlation was established.
All of those surfers were male teenagers who had “markedly higher rates of ADHD” compared to the rest of the group.
The research, which was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, is the first of its kind that looks into subway surfing in the United States.
Dr. Eveline Teresa Hidalgo, a pediatric neurosurgeon at NYU Langone Health and one of the study’s authors, emphasized the serious nature of these injuries, saying, “What I want the teenagers to understand is that this is not some small injury that we are talking about. You can have brain injuries. You might not be able to recover from this. You might not be able to walk after this.”
“This is not children. This is not young adults,” Dr. Hidalgo adds. “This is purely teenagers, and this is immature brain, and this is rites of passage. And this is probably, you know, ADHD plays a role. We don’t know which role.”
The NYPD reported a decrease in subway surfing injuries and fatalities this year, attributing success to drone patrols and community outreach efforts.
In response to the ongoing issue, the MTA has initiated anti-subway surfing campaigns, highlighting the need for further preventive measures.
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