Revealed: Australia's worst hotspots for car crashes

Thousands of crashes occur on Australian roads every year and many of them sadly prove to be fatal.

In 2021 alone, some 1200 people died on our roads. 

Although most crashes are accidents and can be unpredictable, there are some recurring themes - including spots that are particularly prone to danger.

Using data obtained from AAMI's 2022 Crash Index - which analysed over 350,000 motor insurance claims - we've compiled the most common spots where car crashes occur around the country.

Click through to view see the danger spots in your state. These images are file images from Google Maps and there are no suggestions any the cars pictured were involved in any accidents or crashes.

A major arterial that takes drivers straight to the city centre, Canberra Avenue at Fyshwick has snatched the title of the ACT's most accident-prone spot in the territory.

Last year's number one in the ACT, the Monaro Highway in Hume has slipped down the list this year.

The stretch of road is a "well-known speeding hotspot that frequently gets into the headlines for all the wrong reasons," AAMI says.

In 2022 there were four new entries into Western Australia's crash hotspot list, but the Albany Highway at Cannington took out the top spot.

"This stretch intersects with other high-traffic roads and has lots of busy areas – the Westfield being the big centrepiece," AAMI said.

The Midland stretch of the Great Eastern Highway is known for being very highly congested during peak hour, which is why it has taken out the second spot in Western Australia.

Davey Street in Hobart sat at seven last year on Tasmania's list, but thanks to a recent string of crashes it has skyrocketed to number one.

The street is a main entry way to the CBD, so is subjected to heavy traffic. 

"Being part of a one-way couplet system means there's a lot of traffic heading into the city which can lead to major congestion and other traffic issues," AAMI said of the second most accident-prone spot in Tasmania.

Various sections of the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory have taken out the top five most dangerous spots for crashes - but the stretch at Adelaide River has come out on top.

"This overrepresentation in our hotspot list cements the highway's reputation as some of the most dangerous roads in Darwin," AAMI said.

The stretch of the Stuart Highway at Alice Springs has taken out the second spot on the Northern Territory's list, with drivers urged to practice extra caution along the strip.

"Most of the Darwin hotspots this year are new to the Crash Index, which just goes to show that drivers should be cautious," AAMI said.

Peak hour traffic along Gympie Road at Chermside is infamously congested, which is why it took it has landed at the top spot in Queensland.

Logan Road in Mount Gravatt has landed at number two, with motorists warned to practice particular care at the intersection.

"To the surprise of no-one" the Hume Highway at Liverpool has once again taken out the number one most dangerous driving spot in NSW.

"The Liverpool stretch of Hume Highway is notorious for congestion and collisions, as indicated by the fact that it has been a constant fixture in Sydney's top 10 crash hotspots for the better part of a decade," an AAMI spokesperson said.

Parramatta Road ushers in thousands of commuters every day to and from Sydney city and has jumped up to number two on the list this year.

"These hotspots are generally major arterial roads, that are intersecting with local streets through high traffic industrial, educational and shopping precincts – meaning they are consistently busy throughout the day," AAMI said.

Prospect Road in Prospect has taken the title of South Australia's most dangerous road.

"Busy suburb-spanning roads like Prospect Road are always congested, and when that's combined with start-stop traffic, collisions become more likely," AAMI said.

Unley Road at Unley boasts a bus line, street parking and a lot of entry points, so it's been dubbed "a real recipe for something to go wrong".

It is the second most dangerous road in South Australia.

It mightn't look like much, but Plenty Road at Bundoora in Victoria is actually the state's most dangerous road - a spot it has maintained for half a decade straight.

Holding the second spot is Springvale Road in Glen Waverley.

With its notorious bumper to bumper traffic – especially around The Glen shopping centre - it's no surprise to locals that the stretch is featured on the list.

You can see the full top 10 spots ranked in every state here.