A message from Durham Police and Crime Commissioner... Killing for Clicks.

A message from Durham Police and Crime Commissioner... Killing for Clicks.

There are few things harder in my role as Police and Crime Commissioner than meeting families whose lives have been destroyed because somebody else made a reckless decision behind the wheel.

Parents who have buried children. Children growing up without parents. Brothers and sisters left asking the same agonising question: why?

That is why I make no apology for speaking out about a disturbing culture of people driving dangerously, filming it and sharing it with friends or followers as though speeding, racing, dangerous overtaking or driving under the influence is something to boast about.

Our officers are increasingly seeing the devastating and tragic consequences of such reckless and selfish behaviour on our roads. 

Eight-month-old Zackary Blades and his aunt Karlene Warner, 30, were killed by a speeding, drink driver on the A1(M) who filmed himself driving on the A1(M) at 141mph. He was jailed for 17 years and 3 months for causing their deaths by dangerous driving.  Zackary’s mother, Shalorna, survived and has campaigned for lifetime driving bans so those responsible never get the opportunity to get behind a wheel ever again.

Then there is Abbie Devanney. Abbie went out to celebrate her 18th birthday with friends in October 2023. She never came home.

The car she was travelling in crashed near Leadgate. The driver had passed his test just six months earlier and was travelling at an estimated 69mph when he lost control. While the speed limit on the road was 60mph, the wet and dark conditions meant that speed was far too fast.

Abbie was killed and three other teenagers suffered life-changing injuries.

Police later discovered multiple videos on the driver’s phone showing previous speeding, dangerous overtaking and near head-on collisions.

That should send a chilling message to anyone who thinks filming reckless driving is harmless fun.

If you see such videos and know who is behind the wheel, report it either to the police or Crimestoppers anonymously. It could save a precious life. 

Social media companies also have an important part to play. Dangerous driving is not entertainment, and algorithms should not reward reckless behaviour with more views and exposure. Platforms should be compelled to remove content that glorifies dangerous or impaired driving that puts precious lives at risk. 

I want dangerous drivers to understand that videos, messages and social media posts can become evidence. What they film for likes today could help convict them tomorrow and deprive them of their liberty and freedom for many years.

Where someone repeatedly and deliberately drives at grossly excessive speeds, races, takes extreme risks or drives impaired by drink or drugs, knowing they are putting lives in danger, we must ask whether the law adequately reflects that behaviour.

In the most extreme cases, where the legal threshold is met, I believe manslaughter should be considered. If drivers knowingly and repeatedly choose to turn a vehicle into a lethal weapon, the consequences must reflect the devastation they cause.

These deaths are not statistics. They are someone's child, parent, brother, sister or best friend.

They are Zackary. They are Karlene. They are Abbie.

My message is simple: put the phone down, slow down, and never drive dangerously or under the influence of drink or drugs.

No video, no post and no number of likes is worth a life.