‘Reel culture’ led to bike stunt incident: B. Shamoondeswari, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic)
Chennai police officials have linked a rise in dangerous bike stunts to 'reel culture' on social media platforms like Instagram. Experts at a road safety conference emphasized the need for better infrastructure and government intervention to reduce traffic accidents.
Why it matters
The intersection of social media trends and public safety is a growing concern for urban law enforcement and city planners.
Among the Gen Z, ‘reel culture’ is becoming so popular that many are ready to risk their lives under the pretext of taking a video or a photograph, B. Shamoondeswari, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Greater Chennai Traffic Police said here on Friday.
While speaking at the ‘Tamil Nadu Road Safety Conference 2026: From Mission to Action’ organised by the Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) she highlighted a recent bike stunt incident in the city, in which many youths were involved.
“We took action, secured a lot of people and seized several two-wheelers without number plates. In today’s scenario, everyone watches Instagram. Reels are becoming so common. Whether we dance, sing, travel or cook, anything can be [posted as] reels. The ‘reel culture’ is what has led to last week’s incident-- the bike racing or bike stunts,” she said.
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