‘Dude nearly went flying off’: Tradie caught ute surfing to secure load

A man has been filmed standing on the back of a ute – or 'ute surfing' – in a dangerous bid to secure a load of timber.

The video, shared to a popular Instagram page for tradies and credited to social media user Dave Beri, shows the man precariously balanced in the tub of a white Ford Ranger registered in Victoria (though it's unclear where the video originated).

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While his colleague drives the Ranger along suburban streets, the man can be seen using both arms to hold several planks of wood in place, each measuring almost two metres long.

The clip has already amassed thousands of views and attracted several concerned comments from viewers worried the man could have fallen off the back of the vehicle.

"Dude nearly went flying off the side," one commenter wrote, while another added "That sharp turn was devious".

Ute or car surfing is a dangerous practice where occupants travel on the exterior of a vehicle, often challenging themselves to stay on amid sharp turns and high speeds.

It rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s and became the subject of a NSW Parliamentary inquiry in 2003, after it resulted in two separate deaths in the state in September 2003.

In recent years, car and ute surfing has started to re-emerge as a trend, with a 21-year-old Perth man killed after falling from a ute tray in January 2023.

In every state and territory of Australia, it is illegal to travel in any section of a vehicle not designed for carrying passengers – like the boot of a car, the back of a panel van or, in this case, the tray of a ute. Fines and demerit points will apply, often to both the driver and the passenger.

Additional penalties can also apply for drivers found to be carrying passengers who are not wearing seatbelts.

Motorists may also face substantial fines for unsecured loads across Australia. In Victoria, unsecured load penalties range from $242 for an individual over a minor breach and up to $16,119 for an individual who commits a severe breach.

A minor breach is defined as one that does not involve danger to a person, or the risk of damage to property or the environment, while a severe breach places people, property or the environment at risk.