Fatal Crash on M9 Near Moone

On 16 August 2026, a BMW carrying five teenagers drove the wrong way down the M9 near Moone, Co Kildare, and hit an oncoming vehicle head-on. All five teenagers in the BMW were killed. Four people in the oncoming vehicle, including a seven-year-old boy, were seriously injured.

Surge in Wrong-Way Incidents

Transport Infrastructure Ireland recorded 62 wrong-way driving incidents on Irish motorways by August 2026, representing a 32 per cent increase compared to the same period the year before.

Similar Fatal Incident in the UK

On 22 August 2026, a separate incident occurred on the A66 near Middlesbrough when a car travelling against traffic struck a Cleveland Police armed response vehicle. All seven people across the two cars were killed.

Social Media and Dangerous Driving Behaviour

Cyberpsychologist Mary Aiken has described dangerous social-media-linked driving behaviour as “clout chasing”, involving driving while simultaneously producing content for posting or livestreaming.

European Regulatory Action

In July 2026, the European Commission issued preliminary findings that Instagram’s infinite scroll, autoplay, and recommendation algorithm features violated the Digital Services Act. Earlier, in November 2025, the European Parliament called for social media loot boxes to be banned when they cause gambling-like behaviour in children.

Source: The Irish Times