Gardaí warn people ‘not to believe everything’ online as video of car driving wrong way on N11 circulates
The Wicklow PeopleA video being circulated on social media last week, showing a vehicle allegedly being driven on the wrong side of a road in Wicklow is believed to be an old recording, according to senior Garda sources.
In the 25-second clip, which was shared on X, Reddit and multiple local forums, a vehicle can be seen being travelling down the wrong side of what is believed to be the N11 in Wicklow.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed that gardaí responded to reports of dangerous driving on the N11 near Kilmacanogue on Tuesday, August 25, shortly after 10pm. They added that no vehicle was present at the scene.
It is understood that Bray Garda Station received a large volume of calls due to people viewing the video online.
Senior Garda sources have warned the public “not to believe everything they see online”. The origin of the video is still not confirmed, but it is believed to be an old recording and not an incident that happened last week.
The footage emerged amid intense national concern over dangerous driving, following the deaths of five teenagers on the M9. Their car was driven on the wrong side of the motorway before colliding head-on with another vehicle.
Members of a family travelling to Dublin Airport on their way to a wedding in the UK were in the second vehicle.
Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow John Brady said the recent tragedy has left people deeply concerned about the dangers posed by young motorists, with parents particularly worried about the risks facing young drivers.
He said the heightened level of concern has been further highlighted by videos emerging online, but acknowledged that it can be difficult to establish when some footage was recorded.
“People are concerned recently due to the tragic consequences, especially to young motorists and parents. There is a heightened level of concern,” he said.
“When videos emerge, it highlights those concerns. Obviously, material goes up online and it’s hard to establish if it is recent or not. Irrespective of the timeline, it is deeply concerning that at some stage that type of behaviour is taking place.”
He said the issue needs to be tackled at a national and local level, with gardaí requiring the necessary training and resources to deal with dangerous driving.
The Wicklow TD also raised concerns over groups of individuals involved in stealing vehicles, saying Wicklow has always been a particularly popular area for vehicle theft.
“It comes down to gardaí. Wicklow have been left wanting for additional resources to deal with gangs and dangerous driving,” he said.
Deputy Brady warned that the latest concerns suggested gangs could be operating in the area and using the N11 as a getaway route, with vehicles being driven down the wrong side of the road.
According to Road Safety Authority (RSA) figures, there were five fatal traffic collisions and 41 collisions resulting in serious injury recorded in Co Wicklow during 2024.
Meanwhile, a further 86 incidents were recorded as non-serious injury collisions during the same period.
Throughout 2025, the RSA reports that there were two fatalities on Wicklow roads.