The AA has said it warned authorities last year about the terrifying wrong-way motorway social media trend, stressing more must be done to combat the issue with young drivers after 12 people died in similar crashes within just seven days. Fears are growing about the deadly consequences of reckless motorists performing dangerous stunts in the quest for plaudits and approval on platforms such as TikTok.
Government urges social media companies to remove posts
The government has urged social media companies to remove all posts celebrating the foolish acts, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham branding the sharing of footage "truly reprehensible".
The outcry comes after two police officers died when a car travelling the wrong way down a dual carriageway crashed into their vehicle. PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, were killed on the A66 near Middlesbrough on Saturday. Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae and Cole Robert Worthy, both 17, also died at the scene.
AA president highlights trend and statistics
Earlier this month, five teenagers were killed in a head-on crash while they were driving the wrong way down the motorway in County Kildare, Ireland, in the early hours of the morning. Three women and a seven-year-old boy were rushed to hospital where they were treated for serious injuries.
The motoring body's president Edmund King says authorities were aware of the perilous trend long before the recent crashes. He told the Mirror: "Last year, the AA warned of the dangers of more people driving the wrong way on motorways and dual carriageways and also highlighted the trend of some people posting on social media.
"In the 12 months to May 2026 there were 947 cases on English motorways. Yet in the last week alone we have seen two devasting cases with 5 dead on the M9 in County Kildare and 7 dead on the A66 Redcar including two police officers.
"This is such a devasting waste of lives and our thoughts are with the police, the families and friends of all involved and the emergency services who must deal with the traumatic results.
"There is some evidence particularly in Eire that videos depicting youths speeding against traffic - often with Garda blue lights in the background - appear on social media. There are now calls for social media to act more quickly to remove this unlawful content that seems to encourage danger for clicks.
"Many other cases are reckless, impatient drivers who blame sat navs for missing an exit or U-turn on the hard shoulder to evade congestion. There is no excuse and 31 drivers in the past 30 weeks were charged for such criminal offences.
"The spate of recent tragic car crashes is deeply worrying and the consequences last for every. We need more concerted efforts to reduce the carnage of more than 4 deaths each day or 1,538 deaths on our roads each year."
AA backs passenger restrictions for new drivers
The AA previously backed a proposal to prevent new drivers under the age of 21 from carrying passengers their own age for six months after they pass their tests. Sparking a debate about stricter rules for young motorists, they said similar systems in other countries have significantly cut road deaths and injuries.
An AA survey in 2024 shows some support for these measures, with 33 per cent of respondents backing passenger restrictions for new drivers. But the government held back, raising concerns about how such changes could impact job opportunities for teenagers and young people.
The Government have vowed to "take action" to stop the trend of dangerous driving videos being posted online. Speaking to Channel 5 News, the Prime Minister was asked if there is anything the Government can do to crack down on the "growing problem online of the police being goaded and provoked".
Mr Burnham said: "There's always something we can do and the glorification of dangerous driving is an appalling trend, and it needs to be challenged, and that means everybody playing their part to stop it, including the tech companies." Pressed on whether he would be asking tech companies to take down such content, he added: "I'm waiting for a full investigation into what happened at the weekend, but people can be sure that we'll take action off all of the issues that are coming out."
