Queensland’s most dangerous roads and intersections revealed

A staggering 152 crashes and 180 motorists killed or injured in three years – this is Qld’s deadliest stretch of road. See a full list of the state’s most dangerous roads and intersections. MAPPED

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A 48-kilometre stretch of South East Queensland motorway has played host to a staggering 152 serious crashes that have caused 180 fatalities or hospitalisations in just three years, as new data exposes the state’s most dangerous roads.

The data from the Department of Transport and Main Roads listed the state’s top 23 one-kilometre road sections with the greatest number of serious crashes.

Thirteen of those sections were along a stretch of the Pacific Motorway between Springwood and Nerang, where 152 serious crashes caused 180 fatalities or hospitalisations between July 2019 and June 2022.

A multi-vehicle crash on the Pacific Motorway at Coomera near Exit 54 on March 11, 2022. Picture: QAS

The Oxenford section of the Pacific Motorway ranked worst, where TMR recorded 18 casualties from 17 crashes.

Meanwhile, a 1km stretch of the Pacific Motorway through Arundel saw 23 casualties from just 12 serious crashes.

At Logan, the Slacks Creek section saw 17 casualties from as many crashes, while on the Loganholme section 14 crashes caused 18 casualties.

Two sections of the South East Arterial Road between Greenslopes and Eight Mile Plains, together recorded 27 serious casualties from 22 crashes.

North of Brisbane, the Sunshine Motorway at Mountain Creek came in third worst, recording 14 serious crashes with 18 casualties.

Meanwhile TMR recorded 30 serious casualties across two sections of the Bruce Highway just north of Brisbane. There were 18 at Burpengary and 12 at Kallangur, from 10 crashes on each section of the road.

RACQ head of public policy Michael Kane expressed extreme concern at the number of serious crashes in the same location year after year.

“Unfortunately, it’s not surprising to see the Pacific Motorway and Sunshine Motorway listed as having the greatest number of serious crashes,” he said.

“These are high-volume, high-speed roads with regular congestion which can increase the risk of crashes occurring.”

While all of the stretches of road were located near the populous southeast coast, intersections that saw the greatest number of serious casualties were found across the state.

Police at the scene of a serious crash on the Sunshine Motorway near Mountain Creek. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The notorious intersection of Florence Street and Mulgrave Road at Parramatta Park in Cairns topped the list with 24 hospitalisations or fatalities from 13 serious crashes.

Next came the Chambers Flat Road and Waratah Drive intersection at Waterford West in Logan, where 10 crashes resulted in 15 casualties. Also on Chambers Flat Road where it meets Kingston Road at Loganlea there were six crashes and nine casualties.

The Warrego Highway in the Lockyer Valley also made the list twice where it meets Niemeyer Road and Fairway Drive in Hatton Vale with 11 casualties each.

In Rockhampton at the Denison Street and Derby Street intersection, seven crashes caused 10 casualties. In Townsville where the Bruce Highway and Garbutt-Upper Ross Road meet, six crashes caused eight casualties.

Dr Kane said these problematic intersections needed fixing urgently as they could be tricky to safely navigate and were often heavily congested.

“The Club has been calling on all levels of government to prioritise safety upgrades for notorious intersections and highways across Queensland for many years,” he said.

The intersection of Florence Street and Mulgrave Road in Cairns is a crash hot spot. Picture: Brendan Radke

He called on all levels of government to prioritise the major roads and intersections on this list for safety upgrades.

“We know investing in infrastructure projects helps reduce congestion and, importantly, improves safety for all drivers,” he said.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson detailed its investment program in Queensland roads which began last year with $29.7 billion in works committed over four years.

“The Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program 2022–23 to 2025–26 (QTRIP) represents a record investment in road and transport infrastructure,” they said.

Dr Kane added that while investment was crucial, it did not remove the need for drivers to take responsibility for their own safety.

“We know many Queenslanders will have to navigate one of these intersections or roads during their daily travels,” he said.

“That’s why it’s vital to not rush, pay extra attention to traffic signs and signals, give way correctly, and always leave a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front.”

TMR reminded motorists to stick to the speed limits, abide by the road rules and drive to conditions.

“Road users need to be aware of the fatal five and take them seriously: drink and drug driving, fatigue, inattention, not using a seat belt and speeding.”