CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's a terrifying sight on the highway -- more videos from around the Charlotte region show people hanging out of their cars while speeding roughly 60 to 70 miles per hour.
This recklessness is just the latest in a string of dangerous stunts from drivers on public streets.
WCNC Charlotte has reported on several dangerous stunts performed by drivers with street takeovers, people doing burnouts, and doughnuts.
Stunts like these only increase the risks of accidents on the road.
Jeff Swagger, a former State Highway Patrol officer, is a driving instructor at B.R.A.K.E.S., which stands for Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe. It’s a driving training school for teens.
"When we see videos like this it scares us because we know what the outcomes of such recklessness can be,” Swagger said.
Instructors there know firsthand the dangers of the road.
“Doug Herbert, the founder, lost both of his sons John and James in a driving accident,” Swagger said. "John was driving recklessly, lost control of the car and he and his brother James were both killed as a result of that.”
Herbert took his tragedy and started the proactive driving school to help prevent others from losing a loved one to car crashes. Its mission is to save lives and prevent injury by educating teenagers and their parents about safe driving.
The video below was captured on I-77 in southwest Charlotte. It shows someone hanging out of the window of a red SUV as the vehicle cruises past other vehicles.
It’s a dangerous activity and Swagger said has no business on the roads.
“You’ve got a person who is riding in a vehicle who is not belted in or not wearing a seatbelt… that is number one when you get into a car buckle up,” Swagger said. “Then it is a danger to the driver because they are distracted by what their passenger is doing.”
It is also a distraction to other drivers.
“You can find another way to be a daredevil… other than hanging outside of a car going 60 miles an hour,” Todd Hampton said, reacting to the video.
“What are they doing? It looks dangerous, this is ridiculous,” Ray Bradshaw said as he watched the video. “I’m a former SC state trooper and I saw this a lot and it is just ridiculous.”
Swagger said it is important for all drivers to always be vigilant and alert on the road.
“If they notice something like that going on the highway, we want them to move their vehicle as far away as possible from it,” he explained. “That way, if the worse happens they are less likely to be involved in that.”
He added that people should report these incidents, when in a safe area.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol Master Trooper Robert Rogers is warning people to think twice before participating in stunts like this.
“Unfortunately, this kind of behavior is definitely going to result in serious injury or death,” Rogers said. “It's really sad to see…but we do see a direct correlation with social media being a big influence in the uptick in this reckless and dangerous behavior.”
Reckless driving is a misdemeanor in the state of North Carolina. However, that is not the only violation on the line. All passengers, even those sitting in the back, are required by law to wear their seatbelts.
“If they're weaving in and out of traffic, high rates of speed, running cars off the road that absolutely would go under the reckless driving category -- reckless driving is a misdemeanor in NC and it is also an arrestable offense,” Rogers said. “Passengers without a seatbelt can also get a citation. On the other side of the aspect. You can see serious death or injury that results directly from this reckless behavior.”
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.