Australia’s worst crash hotspots have been revealed, with a Melbourne road taking the title of the country’s most dangerous for the sixth consecutive year.
Plenty Road at Bundoora in Melbourne‘s northeast was named Australia’s worst crash hotspot as part of insurer AAMI’s 2023 crash index.
The index, based on more than 350,000 insurance claims between July 2022 and June 2023, also named repeat winners in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Sydney‘s most dangerous crash hotspot was the Hume Highway at Liverpool in the western suburbs, which ranked as Australia’s fourth-worst hotspot.
The highway has taken out the Sydney’s top spot for six consecutive years.
Brisbane‘s Gympie Road at Chermside in the city’s north was named its most dangerous crash hotspot for the second year running, while in Perth, Albany Highway at Cannington in the city’s south was again named the city’s most dangerous:
1. Albany Highway, Cannington
“With busy stretches around the Westfield and plenty of intersections to keep track of, this road will likely be a mainstay for years to come,” the report said of the area.
“Stay alert when driving through or when popping into the shops. With entry points all over, there are more than enough spots for a bingle to catch a driver unaware.”
Albany Highway has taken out Perth’s top hotspot in the crash index for nine of the past 10 years.
2. Tonkin Highway, Bayswater
Moving up a spot to #2 ‘most dangerous road’ in Perth is the Bayswater stretch of the Tonkin Highway, a key route linking the north-east and south-east suburbs. This one’s a frequenter of the list, and according to the insurer, it’s not likely to disappear from it anytime soon.
3. Mitchell Freeway, Perth
Third place is the north-south link that is the Mitchell Freeway. The good news is that the Mitchell Freeway Extension just finished, so fingers crossed this will be the last time we see this one on the list.
4. Great Eastern Highway, Midland and Kwinana Freeway, South Perth
Dropping from the runner up position last year, the Midland stretch of the Great Eastern Highway now shares the #4 spot. With the Midland Gate Shopping Centre nearby, traffic is in no short supply. Sharing 4th place is the South Perth stretch of the Kwinana Freeway, a major north-south route that leads right into the heart of Perth. That means it gets a lot of traffic, so stay focussed when heading into the city.
5. Pinjarra Road, Mandurah, Kwinana Freeway in Baldivis and Cockburn Central
Sitting in the #5 spot is the Mandurah stretch of Pinjarra road. Careful when passing by the Mandurah forum – lots of busy shoppers means congestion. Sharing the 5th spot are the Baldivis and Cockburn Central stretches of the Kwinana Freeway. Be careful along these bits of the road to make this year the last we see it.
Meanwhile, Adelaide, Canberra, the Northern Territory and Hobart all had new winners in 2023, with most of the nation’s worst crash hotspots generally major roads intersecting with local streets in high traffic industrial, educational and shopping precincts.
Adelaide’s most dangerous crash hotspot was West Terrace in the city’s west.
Canberra’s Monaro Highway at Hume took out the national capital’s top hotspot, while the NT’s worst road was the Stuart Highway at Katherine.
Hobart’s top crash hotspot was Argyle Street in the CBD, which moved up five places from 2022.
Nose-to-tail collisions were the most common types of crashes at hotspots except for in Hobart and the NT.
Hobart’s most common crashes happened while cars were parked, while in the NT, collisions with animals were most often to blame for crashes.
AAMI motor customer engagement head Tammy Hall warned drivers should always pay attention, and maintain a safe distance between their vehicles and the cars in front.
“Bumper to bumper collisions often happen during peak hour traffic when the roads are busy, patience is wearing thin, drivers are tired from the day, and are in a rush to get to their destination,” Ms Hall said.
“This is when accidents most commonly occur.”
Fridays recorded the most accidents nationally and the afternoon was the worst time for crashes, the insurer found.
Male drivers were more likely than females to crash, and motorists aged between 35 and 49 were the worst offenders.
The worst crash site – Plenty Road at Bundoora in Melbourne – recorded fewer crashes in 2023 than last year.
