A social media subculture, where young men film themselves driving at illegal speeds on busy roads, has been linked to recent fatal incidents. This trend, using hashtags such as #speedhunters and #fullsend, involves footage of cars hurtling down dual carriageways and weaving through traffic, attracting thousands or even millions of views on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
On Saturday, seven people died in Teesside, including two police officers and five young men aged 17 to 23, after the young men drove the wrong way down the A66 following a police chase. It has been reported that one of the young men killed had previously posted fast-driving clips. Cleveland police stated there was currently no evidence that filming of the activities on Friday night and Saturday morning was for TikTok purposes.
Last week, five teenagers were killed in Ireland when their car, travelling in the wrong direction on the M9, crashed into another vehicle. Some of these teenagers had previously posted videos of reckless driving, with Irish police noting that in some cases, such actions are done for social media likes.
Experts suggest that social media extends the thrill of speed with the promise of online 'clout and glory'. Sonia Livingstone, a professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics, described it as "putting their foot down in the offline world knowing it wins them points in the online world." Joseph Ondrak, director at Peryton Intelligence, identified users with over a million followers whose clips show "incredibly dangerous driving" and have been "key in popularising the squeezing/swimming/gapping trend."
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is seeking assurances from tech companies and Ofcom that this content is being proactively sought and removed in line with legal obligations, and that accounts posting such activity are shut down immediately. TikTok stated it removes videos and accounts that break its rules, including content glorifying violence or promoting crimes that could cause significant physical harm, such as risky driving. Instagram's owner, Meta, also prohibits content promoting high-risk viral challenges, including dangerous driving. Google, which runs YouTube, removed a channel showing a speeding Honda after it was highlighted by the Guardian.