Tailgating afternoon drivers are the most likely to have an crash, new data reveals.
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The numbers have been crunched on more than 350,000 motor insurance claims and it shows a common thread at Australia's hot spot crash zones.
Nose-to-tail collisions were the most common type of crash at almost all capital city hot spots, with almost one third of accidents taking place between 1pm and 4.30pm, data from insurer AAMI reveals.
Data also showed the majority of crash hot spots were highways or busy major arterial roads, that intersect with local streets through high traffic industrial, educational and shopping precincts, meaning they are consistently busy throughout the day.
Topping Adelaide's list this year is Prospect Road in Prospect, while Gympie Road in Chermside topped Brisbane's ranks. Both locations are new to the AAMI Crash Index's leaderboard, alongside Canberra, Darwin and Hobart, which also welcomed new leaders to the top of their ranks.
This year's Index unfortunately saw some of the biggest moves up the 'leaderboard' that have ever been recorded in AAMI's 28-year history of the Crash Index - with the number one hot spots in both Adelaide and Darwin coming from outside the top ten in 2021 and Hobart's Davey Street climbing seven spots to take out the unwanted title of 'worst crash hot spot' in Tasmania's capital city.
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It won't be surprising to Sydneysiders that the Hume Highway in Liverpool maintained the title for Sydney's worst crash hot spot, alongside Melbourne's Plenty Road in Bundoora and Perth's Albany Highway in Cannington. All three locations have stayed in their unfortunate top-ranking spots since the 2021 Crash Index report.
Australia's accident hot spots
If you live in NSW
Nose-to-tail prangs top the list for the most common type of crash on NSW roads. Almost one-third (28 per cent) of crashes occur between 1pm-4.30pm, with 16 per cent of collisions occurring on a Friday.
Top five crash locations in Sydney:
- Hume Highway, Liverpool
- Parramatta Road, Auburn
- Hume Highway, Yagoona
- Military Road, Mosman
- Pennant Hills Road, Carlingford
If you live in Victoria
Nose-to-tail prangs are the most common type of crash in Victoria. Almost one-third (29 per cent) of crashes occur between 1pm-4.30pm, with 16 per cent of collisions occurring on a Friday.
Top five crash locations in Melbourne:
- Plenty Road, Bundoora
- Springvale Road, Glen Waverley
- Sydney Road, Campbellfield
- Craigieburn Road, Craigieburn
- Doncaster Road, Doncaster
If you live in Queensland
Nose-to-tail prangs are the most common type of crash in Queensland. Almost one-third (28 per cent) of crashes occur between 9.30am and 1pm, with 16 per cent of collisions occurring on a Friday.
Top five crash locations in Brisbane:
- Gympie Road, Chermise
- Logan Road, Mount Gravatt
- Morayfield Road, Morayfield
- Ipswich Road, Annerley
- Gympie Road, Kedron
If you live in the ACT
Nose-to-tail prangs are the most common type of crash in the ACT and account for 24 per cent of collisions. More than a quarter (26 per cent) of crashes occur in the afternoon, with 17 per cent of collisions occurring on a Thursday.
Top five crash locations in Canberra:
- Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick
- Monaro Highway, Hume
- Gungahlin Drive, Gungahlin
- Newcastle Street, Fyshwick
- Anketell Street, Greenway
If you live in South Australia
A collision with a stationary object is the most common crash type, accounting for 19 per cent of motor claims with AAMI. More than a quarter (29 per cent) of crashes occur from 1-4.30pm, with 17 per cent of collisions occurring on a Thursday.
Top five crash locations in Adelaide:
1. Prospect Road, Prospect
2. Unley Road, Unley
Equal 3rd. Henley Beach Road, Torrensville
Equal 3rd. South Road, Edwardstown
4. Marion Road, Marion
Equal 5th. Regency Road, Prospect
Equal 5th. North East Road, Windsor Gardens
If you live in Tasmania
A collision with a stationary object is the most common crash type, accounting for 20 per cent of motor claims with AAMI. Almost one third (30 per cent) of crashes occur in the afternoon, with 17 per cent of collisions occurring on a Friday.
1. Davey Street, Hobart
2. Macquarie Street, Hobart
3. Brooker Highway, Hobart
4. Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay
5. Main Road, Moonah
If you live in Western Australia
Nose-to-tail prangs are the most common type of crash. More than a quarter (28 per cent) of crashes occur between 1-4.30pm, with 16 per cent of collisions occurring on a Friday.
1. Albany Highway, Cannington
2. Great Eastern Highway, Midland
3. Tonkin Highway, Bayswater
4. Karringyup Road, Karringyup
Equal 5th. Mitchell Freeway, Perth
Equal 5th. Canning Highway, Applecross
If you live in the Northern Territory
A collision with a stationary object is the most common crash type, accounting for 20 per cent of claims with AAMI. More than one quarter (27 per cent) of crashes occur in the morning, with Fridays accounting for 16 per cent of collisions.
1. Stuart Highway, Adelaide River
2. Stuart Highway, Alice Springs
Equal 3. Stuart Highway, Katherine
Equal 4th. Stuart Highway, Berrimah
Equal 4th. Stuart Highway, Pine Creek
Equal 4th. Smith Street, Darwin
Equal 5th. Bagot Road, Coconut Grove
Equal 5th. Trower Road, Casuarina
AAMI's head of motor claims Anna Cartwright said tailgating can lead to nose-to-tail collisions, especially during peak hour traffic.
"All it takes is a split second of not having your eyes on the road, for you to miss one stop or give way sign or for you to divert your attention to something other than the road ahead, for things to go wrong," she said.
"Maintaining a good distance between you and the car in front is one of the most effective ways of keeping yourself and others safe. It also allows additional time to stop if the car in front suddenly brakes."