2026-08-24 11:05:11

The UK government has urged TikTok and other social media platforms to remove videos showing or celebrating dangerous driving, following two fatal wrong-way crashes involving young drivers.

The call came after two police officers were killed when a Volkswagen Passat being driven the wrong way crashed into their patrol car in Cleveland, Yorkshire.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died at the scene in the early hours of Saturday (22.08.26).

The five young men in the Passat also died.

The victims have been named as Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Theo Rae, 17, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Jacob Matusiak, 23, and Makai Saddington, 18.

Days earlier, five teenagers died in Ireland after a stolen BMW travelled the wrong way along the M9 in County Kildare.

The car collided with a Hyundai carrying a family, seriously injuring three sisters and a seven-year-old boy.

The incidents have raised concerns about the spread of dangerous driving content on social media.

Footage has emerged showing Matusiak driving at high speed on residential roads before Saturday’s crash. He filmed himself while driving and shared the footage on TikTok.

Defence Minister Luke Pollard told BBC Radio 5 Live that social media companies had been asked to remove content that celebrates dangerous driving.

He said: “We’ve communicated to those social media platforms that have been hosting content that celebrates this type of dangerous behaviour on our roads to take down that content.”

Pollard said platforms should prevent their algorithms from promoting such material, arguing that videos attracting views can create financial incentives for dangerous behaviour.

He said: “I want to see social media companies step up.”

Pollard added that the government could use powers under the Online Safety Act to compel platforms to remove the material if they did not act voluntarily.

Matt Storey, Cleveland’s police and crime commissioner, described dangerous driving trends as “absolutely idiotic”.

He said anyone filming themselves while driving was failing to remain “100 per cent focused on the road”.

Storey said: “It is a worrying situation if that’s becoming more prevalent because it is incredibly dangerous.”

Pollard said social media companies had an opportunity to demonstrate that they could regulate harmful content themselves.

The politician said: “If the social media platforms were to regulate themselves and remove it in the first place, then I think we’d be in a better place.”

Visit Bang Premier (main website)