Defence Minister Luke Pollard has urged social media companies to take immediate action against posts that glorify dangerous driving, following a fatal collision that claimed seven lives on a dual carriageway near Middlesbrough on Saturday. The government has signalled it will use enforcement powers under the Online Safety Act to compel platforms to remove such content if companies do not act voluntarily.
Two police officers, PC Tom Clough, 38, and PC Matthew Blades, 37, died when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way collided with their marked armed response vehicle on the A66. All five occupants of the Passat—Malakai Saddington, 18, Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17—also perished in the crash.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday, Pollard stated that platforms could eliminate such material immediately and adjust their recommendation systems to prevent its promotion. 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. I think we all need to give the police time, but there's also things we can be doing in the meantime to make sure that the internet is a safer place for everyone, that doesn't celebrate and load views and therefore financial incentives on people to generate such awful content. I want to see social media companies step up.
A TikTok account believed to belong to Saddington contained videos depicting dangerous driving behaviour, which have since been removed. According to reports on the incident, the account had posted footage showing dangerous driving before the collision, though police have not formally confirmed the connection.
The government has already communicated with social media platforms demanding action on such content. Pollard emphasised that companies possess complete knowledge of what material exists on their services and understand how their algorithms function. He highlighted a troubling financial incentive structure:
They also know that people post content to get views and the more views you get, sometimes you get money for it, so it's a financial incentive to post outrageous content that gets more people watching it.
What powers does the government have?
The government possesses enforcement mechanisms under the Online Safety Act to compel platforms to remove content that remains online. These powers can be deployed if companies fail to act voluntarily. A spokesperson for regulator Ofcom confirmed that under the act, platforms must minimise children's exposure to violent material and content promoting dangerous challenges. Ofcom launched an investigation in July into TikTok's compliance with its child safety duties and has demonstrated willingness to take action if companies fall short of their obligations.
Pollard told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that
it's absolutely idiotic for anybody to be doing anything other than being completely 100% focused on the road when they're behind the wheel of a vehicle.He described filming dangerous driving as
absolutely ridiculous, and of course nobody should be doing that, adding that
It is a worrying situation if that's becoming more prevalent because it is incredibly dangerous.
Speaking further on the matter, Pollard called on social media companies to
step up, noting that
It's one of the reasons they've argued against some of the regulations, saying they can police themselves. Well this is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate it. Remove the content that celebrates dangerous behaviour on our roads.
What has TikTok said?
TikTok stated that its policies explicitly prohibit content that could cause significant physical harm, including dangerous driving, and the company is actively removing videos and accounts that violate these rules. Between January and March 2026, the platform removed 99.8% of content violating those policies proactively. The company has not provided further comment on the specific videos linked to the A66 incident.
What did the videos show?
A video posted on the account in March 2025 depicted what appeared to be a police pursuit involving Saddington and four other young people. BBC Verify analysed the 94-second clip, which showed the vehicle driving across footpaths and parkland in Ormesby, Middlesbrough, with Saddington positioned as a rear-seat passenger. The video has since been deleted.
Another deleted video from the same account appeared to show a joyride with a passenger smoking while the speedometer displayed 100mph. Later in that footage, a different vehicle was set on fire, though the passengers were not identifiable.
What was the police response to the crash?
According to investigation reports, the pursuit lasted just under seven minutes before it was terminated shortly before the fatal collision. Cleveland Police had received reports linking the vehicle to multiple incidents and suspected cloned registration plates that triggered an ANPR camera. The Independent Office for Police Conduct opened an independent investigation into the crash after a mandatory referral from Cleveland Police.
Is this part of a wider trend?
This incident reflects growing concerns about dangerous driving content on social media. Earlier this month, five teenagers were killed in a head-on collision in County Kildare, Ireland, after driving the wrong way down a motorway. They struck a vehicle believed to be carrying a family heading to the airport for a holiday. As of Friday, three women and a seven-year-old boy remained hospitalised with serious injuries.
At the time, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly described the behaviour as
irresponsible and dangerous driving, and noted that
What makes this reckless behaviour even more appalling is that in some cases it is being done for social media likes regardless of the potentially devastating impact it might have on innocent people and themselves.
This pattern of dangerous driving content being shared for social media engagement has been documented previously. Teen motorbike thieves have openly boasted and mocked victims on TikTok, with many suspects under 18, prompting concerns about the platform's role in glorifying criminal behaviour.
Broader concerns about social media safety have intensified. Ofcom has warned that TikTok and YouTube remain unsafe for children, urging stronger safety measures as the UK government considers banning social media for under-16s amid rising concerns.
What happens next?
The A66 stretch between Eston Road and Normanby Road was expected to remain closed until Monday for repairs, with diversion arrangements in place. The government has signalled its readiness to use enforcement powers under the Online Safety Act if social media platforms do not voluntarily remove content glorifying dangerous driving.
Key Facts
- Seven people died in the A66 crash on Saturday: two police officers and five occupants of the Passat
- A TikTok account linked to one of the deceased had posted videos depicting dangerous driving before the collision
- The government can use Online Safety Act powers to compel platforms to remove such content if companies do not act voluntarily
- A similar incident in Ireland earlier this month killed five teenagers driving the wrong way down a motorway
- Ofcom is investigating TikTok's compliance with child safety duties
