2023 AAMI Crash Report Reveals the Worst Crash Hotspots in Australia

A car and a motorcycle stand on the city motorway A100 after an accident in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 19, 2020. Paul Zinken/dpa via AP Photo

AAMI, an Australian general insurance provider, has published its list of worst crash sites across Australia in its annual 2023 Crash Report, showing some familiar locations as a ‘worst crash hotspot’ in each state as many of the same roads appear on the crash hotspot list year after year.

According to AAMI’s annual Crash Index, Melbourne’s Plenty Road in Bundoora in the North-East suburb has been dishonourably crowned Australia’s most fatal crash hotspot for six years in a row.

The report shows Adelaide, Canberra, Northern Territory and Hobart all have their new #1 hotspots in 2023 while Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney’s #1 hotspots remain the same for another year.

One of the main purposes of the AAMI’s Crash Index report, which has analysed over 350,000 motor insurance claims, is to alert drivers to be more vigilant on the road while driving.

Tammy Hall, who is AAMI’s Head of Motor Customer Engagement, said that although each hotspot has its own reasons, many of them do share some common factors, such as major roads, intersections, schools and shopping centres.

“These hotspots are generally major roads, intersecting with local streets through high traffic industrial, educational and shopping centre precincts, making them consistently busy throughout the day,” said Ms Hall.

However, according to AAMI, things are improving for Melbourne’s worst hotspot, and the accidents have been dropping significantly due to the lowered speed limit.

“The drop in crashes at Melbourne’s #1 crash hotspot is significant and proves that the lowered speed limit, which our AAMI Crash Index data-informed, has positively impacted the number of accidents at this notorious location,” Ms. Hall said.

Top three Hotspots In Each Capital City

Below are the three hotspots of road accidents for each city:

Sydney: Hume Highway, Liverpool. M4 Motorway, Paramatta. M5 Motorway, Moorebank.

Melbourne: Plenty Rd, Bundoora. Springvale rd., Glen Waverley. Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood.

Brisbane: Gympie Road, Chermside. Mains Road, Sunnybank. Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains.

Adelaide: West Terrace, Adelaide. The Parade, Norwood. North Terrace, Adelaide.

Perth: Albany Highway, Cannington. Tonkin Highway, Bayswater. Mitchell Freeway, Perth.

Canberra: Monaro Highway, Hume. Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick. Gundaroo Drive, Gungahlin.

Hobart: Argyle Street, Hobart. Macquarie Street, Hobart. Main Road, Moonah.

Some Advice from AAMI

Based on the report, among the many types of vehicle crashes, the most common type is nose-to-tail collision for most states, and Ms. Hall gave some of her advice.

She said that keeping a good distance is very important to avoid road accidents, especially nose-to-tail collisions.

“Tailgating, driver distraction and potentially road rage can lead to nose-to-tail collisions, and to avoid them, Aussie drivers should travel at a safe distance behind the car in front and ensure they are paying attention at all times,” she said.

“A good rule of thumb is to always drive at least 3 seconds behind the car in front (often called the 3-second gap). This should be a larger gap if the driving conditions are poor or you’re driving a heavy vehicle. This allows adequate time to react and respond to a situation safely and avoid a crash.”

However, Ms Hall said things can worsen during peak hour traffic.

“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. This is when accidents most commonly occur.”

For more information, please visit https://www.aami.com.au/car-insurance/crash-index.html#hobart.