Sir, – There is an extremely worrying recent trend emerging on large social media platforms such as TikTok and X. Young teenagers, reportedly between the ages of 11 and 17, are filming themselves driving stolen cars and engaging in very serious behaviour on our roads.
In some of these video clips, they are seen deliberately driving the wrong way on to motorways, while gleefully filming panicked oncoming drivers desperately attempting to move out of their path. These videos are then presented in such a way that appears to glamorise this behaviour, with popular songs playing in the background and special effects in the editing.
What is deeply concerning is that the identities of these children are often readily available. Their full names can be seen on their social media accounts, and their faces are clearly shown in these video clips.
Despite what these videos show, these social media accounts and videos are allowed to remain online, accumulating hundreds of thousands of views, likes and shares. Those involved carry out these crimes with impunity, with no regard for others and no fear of the consequences, either for themselves or other drivers. This clearly influences other young people to partake in the same egregious behaviour.
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There is a responsibility on social media giants such as TikTok and X to moderate and delete this harmful content, as it risks encouraging others to imitate it.
This is not typical teenage foolish behaviour. Driving a car at speed in the wrong direction on a motorway places the public in potentially fatal danger. If this trend is set to increase, then the response needs to reflect the seriousness of these actions. – Yours etc,
LUCY SWEENEY,
Donacarney,
Co Meath.
Sir, – For the second consecutive weekend, there have been truly horrific car crashes, caused by the reckless behaviour of individuals driving stolen cars in the wrong direction on motorways, by all accounts being video-recorded for social media hits.
[ Five masked teenagers killed in M9 crash are suspected of local crime spreeOpens in new window ]
The horror of the most recent crash is exemplified by the fact it was late afternoon on Sunday before emergency services confirmed there were not four, but five, killed in the stolen car. Just let that sink in for a moment.
Which of us would want to attend a scene of such carnage? But that is what our medical responders and gardaí faced. In both cases, gardaí had earlier interacted with the stolen cars, yet were under orders to disengage, resulting in totally innocent drivers and passengers possibly being left with life-changing injuries.
This situation cannot continue. If we expect An Garda Síochána to have any chance of eradicating such behaviour and its consequences, the rules of engagement must change, and they must be given the tools to do their job. Over to you, Jim O’Callaghan. – Yours, etc,
BARRY McCONVILLE,
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – I am ever disappointed by the response of the relevant authorities to the rising numbers of road deaths, and other failures, in the State. The latest example is the Garda Commissioner’s observation of “how irresponsible and dangerous driving on the wrong side of the motorway is” after the terrible incident on the M9. I find it curious that in the reports I heard or saw, the head of law enforcement neglected to mention the illegality of the act.
This is just one instance of many in a pattern of lack of accountability among authority figures in Ireland. Everyone, all the way up to the Taoiseach, employs words such as “disappointed” or “appalled” in their statements regarding the latest problem, without ever offering remedies or solutions. Observation and commentary appear to be the most that figures are willing to offer.
This lack of accountability and action is symptomatic of the paralysis that is steadily engulfing the State. Housing, public transport, climate action, water infrastructure and healthcare are all policy domains in which the State has failed (to name a few). Road safety is yet another tragic addition to that list; a policy failure from which even the resultant deaths of multitudes of young people cannot stimulate change.
One is left wondering whether Ireland’s political structures are fit for purpose in the 21st century. – Yours, etc,
CONOR MAC DONNCHADHA,
Smithfield,
Dublin 7.
