Canberra drivers are pretty good at not being distracted and not speeding… but accidents will happen. Photo: Southworks.
Hindmarsh Drive in Phillip has been named Canberra’s worst crash hotspot, with experts warning the city’s biggest road safety challenge isn’t speeding but the everyday driving mistakes motorists make in busy traffic.
The latest AAMI Crash Index released this week analysed more than 394,000 motor insurance claims lodged across Australia in 2025, including more than 6000 in Canberra, to identify where collisions happen most often.
Hindmarsh Drive ranked first, with the intersection of Hindmarsh Drive and Melrose Drive recording the highest number of crashes. Tuggeranong Parkway in Curtin, Canberra Avenue in Fyshwick, Benjamin Way in Belconnen and Drakeford Drive in Kambah rounded out the top five.
Rather than identifying one particularly dangerous road, the report found Canberra’s worst crash locations shared common features – major intersections, arterial roads, roundabouts and busy commuter routes where turning traffic and stop-start conditions increase the likelihood of collisions.
AAMI survey of five accident hotspots for Canberra – and why they happen. Image: AAMI.
AAMI Motor Prevention Manager Mary Kennedy said the findings pointed to a broader trend.
“Canberra’s most common crash type is nose-to-tail collisions, followed by collisions with stationary objects and failure to give way. These are the kinds of everyday bingles that often happen in busy traffic, at intersections, around shopping centres and on commuter corridors,” said Ms Kennedy.
The report also examined driving behaviour using data from motorists participating in AAMI’s Driver Rewards program.
Canberra drivers recorded strong scores for speed management (94.4 out of 100) and avoiding phone distraction (89.6). However, turning was the lowest-scoring behaviour at 70.3, followed by acceleration and braking, both at 76.3.
The insurer said the results suggest many crashes stem from drivers following too closely, braking late, misjudging gaps when turning and failing to give way rather than excessive speed.
The report said the findings showed many crashes could be prevented through small changes in driver behaviour.
“What’s interesting is how closely our driving behaviour data aligns with our claims data. Canberra drivers manage speed and phone distraction well, but turning, acceleration and braking are where we see the greatest opportunity for improvement,” Ms White added.
Australian Road Safety Foundation founder and chair Russell White said the findings reflected driver behaviour being seen across the country.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. It’s easy to say that’s a policy problem, or a policing problem, but every road user has a role to play, and so does every level of government and industry. Governments need to fix black spots and support strong policy, police need to enforce the laws, but road users also need to stop treating driving as a right rather than a responsibility,” Mr White told Region.
He added that complacency behind the wheel was becoming one of the biggest challenges, with many Australians underestimating the risks of everyday driving.
More than 7 in 10 drivers admit breaking road rules, 1 in 4 say they do so at least every fortnight, and more than half take risks on routine trips such as the school run or commute. Yet almost three-quarters still believe they are safe drivers.
“That gap – between what we do and what we believe about ourselves – is where people die,” he said.
Mr White said education remained one of the most effective ways to improve driver behaviour and called for road safety to become a compulsory part of school education rather than something introduced only when young people begin learning to drive.
The warning comes as Australia’s road toll continues to rise. A total of 1314 people were killed on Australian roads in 2025 – the highest annual toll since 2010 and more than 16 per cent higher than five years earlier.
