The most dangerous Adelaide suburbs and South Australian towns for road crashes

Thousands of people have been killed or injured in road crashes in Adelaide suburbs and SA towns over the past decade. But these were the worst casualty locations.

Almost 10,200 people have been killed or injured in the top 10 most dangerous Adelaide suburbs and regional South Australian towns for road crashes over the past decade.

State government figures analysed by the RAA also reveal the number of minor injuries sustained in crashes across SA dropped to a record low of 4069 last year.

The CBD recorded the greatest number of road casualties – 2444 comprising seven fatalities, 185 serious injuries and 2252minor injuries – across metropolitan Adelaide from 2011 to 2020.

Mt Gambier in the state’s South-East had the most regional road casualties – 427 comprising five fatalities, 57 serious injuries and 365 minor injuries – over the same 10-year period.

RAA safety and infrastructure senior manager Charles Mountain said the sobering figures – 10,168 casualties in the past 10 years – highlighted a concerning national trend.

“While there has been some noticeable improvements in terms of reductions in injuries and lives lost, the rate of reduction is not as high as we would want to see,” he said.

“We need to focus more in the next 10-year period to bring about a much higher level of reduction and ultimately achieve targets identified in the next road safety strategy.”

The Advertiser in July revealed the state government strategy aimed to halve the number of lives lost, and reduce by 30 per cent the number of serious injuries, on SA roads by 2031.

Mr Mountain said significant decrease in minor injuries last year could be partly attributed to the coronavirus pandemic resulting in fewer motorists on the road.

“Even allowing for last year being exceptionally low, there has been a consistent and noticeable reduction (in metro minor injuries),” he said.

“Cars with improved technology … becoming more mainstream would have a part to play but also we saw quite a significant investment in the road network.”

Mr Mountain said four of the top five suburbs for casualty crashes were in locations where higher volumes of traffic combined with increased pedestrian movement.

Prospect (737), Morphett Vale and North Adelaide (636) and Norwood (559) were among the suburbs in the top five locations for casualties.

But Mr Mountain said there continued to be an over-representation of injuries and deaths in regional areas.

Mt Barker (421), Murray Bridge (383), Whyalla (303) and Port Lincoln (230) and associated towns within those regional centres were rounded out the top five rural locations.

“Ongoing investment in the road network does and will produce better safety outcomes but we also need to be mindful of all other elements,” Mr Mountain said.

“It doesn’t matter where we are – we can’t afford to be complacent.”