The Monaro Highway in Hume has been named Canberra's most dangerous road, based on insurance claims data.
Australians made 350,000 motor insurance claims to company AAMI in the year until June 30, 2023.
Territorians were most likely to crash nose to tail on the Monaro Highway, Hume, on a Friday afternoon between 1pm and 4.30pm.
The Hume stretch of road was also named the most dangerous crash site in 2021 and the second worst of 2022.
Customer engagement head Tammy Hall said this was "hardly surprising".
"Monaro Highway in Hume is a major thoroughfare, notorious for speeding, commuter traffic, and speed changes, so it's hardly surprising it's been ranked the worst crash hotspot in Canberra," she said.
"There are many traffic light intersections which are quite dangerous and a contributing factor to crashes."
Worst roads for crashes ACT
- Monaro Highway, Hume
- Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick
- Gundaroo Drive, Gungahlin
- Drakeford Drive, Kambah
- Monaro Highway, Fyshwick
- Newcastle Street, Fyshwick
- Gungahlin Drive, Gungahlin
- Pialligo Avenue, Pialligo
- Sulwood Drive, Kambah
- Majura Parkway, Majura
Recent crashes on the Monaro Highway include a "suspicious" incident in June and a crash between a Harley Davidson motorbike and a Holden Sedan in July.
Many of Canberra's 10 worst roads have similar features, Ms Hall said.
"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," she said.
The Monaro Highway in Hume has taken Canberra Avenue, Fyshwick's number one spot this year, pushing the industrial suburb road down the list to spot two.
Gundaroo Drive in Gundaroo and Drakeford Drive in Kambah have seemingly become more dangerous in the last year, climbing further up the list to spots three and four.
Canberrans most likely to crash
Male drivers aged 35 to 49 were "the worst offenders when it came to crashes both in Canberra and across the ACT".
In 53 per cent of crashes, the driver was a male.
People aged 35 to 49 made up nearly one third of all ACT drivers involved in incidents.
A third of crashes in Canberra and a quarter in the ACT were nose to tail. One-in-four incidents happened in the afternoon.
"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," Ms Hall said.
In July, an 18-year-old man became the third person to die on Canberra's roads in 2023.
During September, ACT police are encouraging Canberrans to drive extra carefully around "vulnerable road users".
These are people most likely to be injured or die from a crash, such as children, pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists, and e-scooter riders, Detective Acting Inspector Paul Hutcheson said.
"A greater onus needs to be placed on drivers to be aware of their surroundings, and to be on the lookout for vulnerable road users, including children in and around 40km/h school zones," he said.
"I would also like to remind drivers that when they pass a bicycle to ensure there is a sufficient distance between their vehicle and bicycle rider."
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