Gunghalin Drive, Gungahlin is among the roads named in Canberra’s 10 worst accident hotspots. Pictured is a collision between a car and a truck on the corner of Gungahlin Drive and The Valley Avenue on August 6. Photo by George Tsotsos.
Canberra’s top 10 most dangerous roads for motor vehicle accidents have been revealed, with the Monaro Highway in Hume heading the list.
According to the latest crash data from car insurer AAMI, Fyshwick’s Canberra Avenue is the city’s second most dangerous road after being knocked from the top spot it has held for the past three years.
AAMI spokesperson Ms Ashleigh Paterson said the number of accidents on the Monaro Highway in Hume had increased over the past 12 months, which resulted in it dishonourably been crowned Canberra’s worst hotspot for car accidents.
“Hume’s Monaro Highway in Canberra’s south has several lanes of traffic travelling in both directions which can become congested during peak periods with several roads feeding into it,” said Ms Paterson.
“The stretch of road features several sets of traffic lights and multiple entry points, making it prone to congestion during peak hours.”
The 2018 AAMI Crash Index shows that Gundaroo Drive in Gungahlin is Canberra’s third-worst hotspot for car accidents (moving up from fourth last year), while a new entrant to the top 10 list, Anketell Street in Greenway, comes in at number four.
Canberra’s top five worst accident hotspots. Image supplied by AAMI.
Six new roads enter top 10 hotspot list
The crash data actually revealed six new contenders in Canberra’s top 10 accident hotspots for 2018, which is more than any other state or territory in Australia and shows the city’s range of problem areas has been extended.
New entrants to this year’s top 10 are typically main roads in Canberra’s suburbs such as Anketell Street, Northbourne Avenue, Haydon Drive, Drakeford Drive, Pialligo Avenue and Sulwood Drive.
However, taking fifth place in Canberra’s 2018 worst accident hotspots list is an old entrant, Gungahlin Drive, Gungahlin, which moved up from sixth place last year.
The remainder of the top 10 list are all new entrants, with sixth place going to Northbourne Avenue, Braddon, seventh place to Haydon Drive, Bruce, eighth place to Drakeford Drive, Kambah, ninth place to Pialligo Avenue, Pialligo and tenth place to Sulwood Drive, Kambah.
Canberra’s top 10 accident hotspot list is based on AAMI’s analysis of motor accident insurance claims from 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018. This was done as part of a wider national analysis.
Police at the scene of a crash between two vehicles on Pialligo Avenue, Pialligo on September 6. Pialligo Avenue is one of six new entrants to Canberra’s top 10 accident hotspot list. Photo by George Tsotsos.
Small lapses in concentration can lead to serious collisions
“The majority of the hotspots share commonalities in that there is a high volume of vehicles entering and exiting at multiple intersections, frequent stopping and starting, and constantly changing driving conditions,” Ms Paterson said.
“When combined, this creates plenty of opportunities for small misjudgements and lapses in concentration which can lead to serious collisions.
“Concentration is key so we are urging all drivers to be mindful of safe driving behaviours when travelling on our roads, especially when they find themselves in one of these accident-prone areas.”
Most drivers angry when they see others using mobiles
Research into driver behaviours conducted for AAMI by Lonergan Research in 2017 (involving a nationwide survey of 1,255 drivers) revealed nearly two thirds (67 per cent) of drivers become angry when they see others using a mobile phone while driving.
“Despite this, many drivers are still taking dangerous risks when they are behind the wheel with one in three (35 per cent) people admitting to texting while stopped at a traffic light and one in three people (31 per cent) admit to talking on the phone whilst holding the handset,” said Ms Paterson.
“Even more worryingly, one in five people don’t know that having a phone conversation with the handset in your hand is illegal and 38 per cent of people don’t know that having a phone conversation on speakerphone with the handset on your lap is illegal.
“While it is positive that many drivers are unhappy when they see other motorists using a mobile phone when driving, an alarming number of people are still using their mobile phones while on the road,” she said.
“These are concerning findings as we know mobile use is a leading cause of driver distraction and increases the chance of misjudgements and lapses in concentration, leading to traffic collisions.
“We are urging drivers to limit the use of mobile phones while driving and only unlocking your phone when it is absolutely safe to do so.”
Canberra’s top 10 hotspots
Canberra’s top 10 worst accident hotspots according to the 2018 AAMI Crash Index are:
- Monaro Highway, Hume
- Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick
- Gundaroo Drive, Gungahlin
- Anketell Street, Greenway
- Gungahlin Drive, Gungahlin
- Northbourne Avenue, Braddon
- Haydon Drive, Bruce
- Drakeford Drive, Kambah
- Pialligo Avenue, Pialligo
- Sulwood Drive, Kambah
Have you encountered problems at one of these hotspots? Do you have suggestions to make them safer? Let us know in the comments below.
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