Horror crashes on the A66 in the UK and on the M9 motorway in Ireland this month have raised concerns over 'wrong-way driving' and 'rage-baiting cops' trends on social media. UK Defence Minister Luke Pollard urged social media companies to remove posts that glorify dangerous driving.
On Saturday, 22 August, PCs Matthew Blades and Tom Clough were killed when their marked police vehicle was struck head‑on by a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way on the A66 near Middlesbrough. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the circumstances of the collision.