At least 12 people have died in separate road crashes in England and Ireland within days of each other, with authorities raising concerns over a growing trend of motorists deliberately driving against traffic on major roads.

Seven people, including two police officers, were killed early Saturday in a collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough in northeastern England.

According to police, the fatal incident occurred after officers pursued a vehicle regarded as suspicious. The vehicle was allegedly being driven in the wrong direction when it collided with a police car travelling correctly along the road.

The English crash came shortly after a separate tragedy in Ireland that claimed the lives of five teenagers.

The teenagers were travelling on the M9 motorway west of Dublin when their vehicle entered the carriageway in the wrong direction and crashed head-on into another car. Four occupants of the second vehicle, including a child, were seriously injured.

The incidents have renewed concerns among authorities about motorists deliberately using the wrong side of motorways, with some officials linking the behaviour to content circulated on social media.

Ireland’s Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, previously condemned the practice following the fatal M9 collision, describing the recent incidents as part of a worrying pattern.

He called for an end to the behaviour, warning that there should be no acceptance of such reckless acts on public roads.

Irish police chief Justin Kelly also expressed concern over the role of social media, saying some individuals appeared to be engaging in the dangerous practice for online attention.

Authorities have previously recorded similar incidents involving stolen vehicles. One such crash occurred on Dublin’s M50 motorway a week before the latest fatal collision, leaving several people seriously injured after a stolen vehicle carrying teenagers was driven against traffic.

Police have also reported the circulation of videos recorded from inside stolen vehicles during pursuits, further raising concerns that dangerous driving is being encouraged or promoted online.

Officials are now urging motorists to avoid reckless driving and warning that attempts to turn dangerous road behaviour into social media content can have fatal consequences.