Stuart Highway in Adelaide River has taken out the title of Darwin’s worst hot spot for car crashes, according to new data from national insurer AAMI.
Featuring prominently in the list of Darwin’s top crash hotspots, Stuart Highway takes out four of the top five places – cementing its reputation as one of the most dangerous roads in Darwin.
The AAMI Crash Index, which analysed 350,000 accident insurance claims1 across the country from 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022, shines a light on the most dangerous roads to encourage drivers to remain safe and vigilant while behind the wheel.
Known as a major Australian highway, running from Darwin to Port Augusta in South Australia, AAMI spokesperson Anna Cartwright said Stuart Highway’s prevalence in the 2022 crash hot spot was unsurprising.
“This busy stretch of the highway has a constant flow of traffic, with motorists coming and going to visit the many shops, accommodation and other amenities throughout the township of Adelaide River.”
Hitting an animal was the most common cause of crashes in this location (40 per cent), with Friday the most common day of the week (35 per cent) and the evening2 the most common time (30 per cent). Male drivers, and motorists aged 65+ and 35 – 49yrs were most likely to be involved in an accident on this stretch of the Stuart Highway.
The 2022 AAMI Crash Index for Darwin saw five new entries – notably the Stuart Highway through Adelaide River, Alice Springs and Katherine, taking spots one, two and three respectively.
While each of the top spots had their own individual factors which contributed to their position in the rankings, they did all share some commonalities.
“These are mostly highways, or busy arterial roads intersecting with local streets through high traffic industrial and shopping precincts,” she said.
For Territorians, AAMI’s data identified collisions with a stationary object as the most common type of crash – with around one in five (20 per cent) accidents occurring this way.
“Driver distraction is a leading cause of collisions with stationary objects, and to avoid them, Territorian drivers need to concentrate more on what’s happening in front and around them and less on multitasking,” Ms Cartwright said.
In the NT, Fridays were the worst day of the week for accidents (16 per cent), while mornings proved the most common time with more than a quarter (27 per cent) of accidents occurring during this time.
Males, and drivers aged 35–49 years were the most likely to be involved in an accident according to AAMI data.
“Regardless of the day or time, driving through one of the identified hot spots, dropping your kids off at school or simply popping out to the local shops, every time you get behind the wheel we urge drivers throughout the NT to maintain focus on the task at hand, follow the speed limit and abide by all road rules,” Ms Cartwright said.
“Most risks on the road can be mitigated if people pay attention and drive to the conditions.”
AAMI has been tackling road safety head-on by revealing where accidents most commonly occur across Australia since 1994, to highlight to motorists the importance of driving safely and being extra vigilant, particularly at identified locations.
“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,” Ms Cartwright said.
“We’re urging all Territorians, and Australians to take care behind the wheel, and help us change the Crash Index.”.
