LONDON: The UK government has thrown its full support behind communications regulator Ofcom to take “tough action” against social media platforms that fail to remove videos glorifying dangerous driving, following a devastating road crash near Middlesbrough that claimed seven lives.
The crash occurred in the early hours of Saturday on the A66, when a Volkswagen Passat carrying five people crashed head-on with a marked armed response police vehicle while travelling on the wrong side of the road.
Two police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, were killed in the collision. The five occupants of the Passat — Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, and Jacob Matusiak, 23 — also died at the scene.
Police Pursuit Before Fatal Crash
Police had begun following the Passat after receiving intelligence about multiple incidents involving a vehicle matching its description.
Officers pursued the car for around seven minutes before it began travelling against the flow of traffic on the A66. Police then abandoned the pursuit and remained on the correct side of the carriageway.
The Passat, which is believed to have been using cloned number plates, collided with the police vehicle around 10 seconds later.
The tragedy has renewed concerns about social media videos showing drivers deliberately engaging in dangerous behaviour, including travelling the wrong way on roads, with some footage reportedly filmed by people inside the vehicles and uploaded for online attention.
Government Targets Dangerous Online Content
A Downing Street spokesperson said Ofcom would have the government’s full backing to take firm action against platforms that fail to remove such material.
The government said it had already raised concerns with social media companies about videos that appear to glorify dangerous driving.
Officials stressed that platforms have legal responsibilities under the UK’s Online Safety Act and should remove content that encourages or promotes behaviour capable of causing serious harm.
Defence Minister Calls on Platforms to Act
Defence Minister Luke Pollard urged social media companies to “step up” their efforts to remove content that celebrates dangerous driving.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Pollard said the government had contacted platforms hosting such material and asked them to remove content promoting dangerous behaviour on British roads.
He argued that platforms should also prevent algorithms from actively promoting such videos to wider audiences.
Pollard said the current situation was an opportunity for social media companies to demonstrate that they could effectively regulate harmful content themselves.
Ofcom Warns Platforms
Ofcom said social media companies have legal duties under the Online Safety Act to protect children from harmful content, including material encouraging dangerous stunts and challenges.
The regulator also confirmed that TikTok is already under investigation over concerns about the effectiveness of its age-checking systems.
Ofcom said it would take action where evidence showed that platforms were failing to meet their legal obligations.
TikTok Defends Its Policies
TikTok has rejected suggestions that its platform puts children at risk. The company says its rules prohibit content that could result in significant physical harm, including dangerous driving.
The platform also says it removes videos and accounts that violate its policies.
The Middlesbrough-area crash has nevertheless intensified calls for social media companies to do more to prevent dangerous driving content from being created, promoted and viewed by young people.
The incident came less than a week after another fatal crash in Ireland in which five teenagers died following a collision involving a vehicle travelling the wrong way on a motorway.
With concerns mounting over the influence of online trends on reckless driving, the UK government is now under growing pressure to ensure social media platforms are held accountable for content that encourages dangerous behaviour on the roads.
