Nine out of Australia’s top 10 crash hotspots are in the same city
New data suggests drivers in Melbourne are the most prone to getting into a collision, finding nine out of 10 of Australia’s crash hotspots are in the city.
The 2026 AAMI Crash Index revealed that Springvale Road in Glen Waverley was the nation’s worst spot for crashes, taking the crown from Plenty Road in Bundoora, which held the unwanted top spot for eight straight years.
AAMI spokesperson Mary Kennedy said most insurance claims weren’t high-speed collisions but rather fender benders, failure to give way, and crashing into stationary objects – all mostly preventable incidents.
“Nine of Australia’s top 10 crash hotspots are in Melbourne, which tells us this is not about one bad road. It is a broader pattern across some of our busiest arterial roads,” she said.
The only non-Melbourne road to make the list was Pennant Hills Road in Carlingford in Sydney’s north-west.
The index analyses more than 394,000 motor insurance claims lodged across Australia in 2025.
The nation’s worst crash spots share similarities, including busy arterial roads, traffic lights, major intersections, shopping precincts, car parks and heavy stop-start traffic.
The data also found most crashes were caused by poor driving habits such as tailgating, late braking, misjudging turns and failing to anticipate changing traffic conditions.
Male motorists and drivers aged 65 and older were involved in the most crashes, and white, grey, and silver vehicles accounted for the highest number of prangs.
Friday was also found to be the worst day of the week for collisions.
Nose-to-tail bumps were the most common crashes of the year, making up 28 per cent of the data. iStock
“Mornings and Fridays are peak prang periods nationally, when school pick-ups, commuters, shoppers and heavy traffic all converge,” Kennedy said.
“Whether you are driving through Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra or Darwin, the message is the same: leave a safe gap, look further ahead, take extra care at intersections and avoid rushing through busy traffic.”
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
