Crash hotspots: Insurer calls out worst roads in Brisbane

A road in Queensland has been named and shamed as the worst road for car crashes. See where it is.

Beautiful one day, perfect the next – unless you happen to be a motorist.

Queensland is home to the city’s most dangerous road for collisions, soaring up nine places to take up the unenviable title.

The Bruce Highway at Caboolture has been named and shamed as the worst road for car crashes in Brisbane, followed by Gympie Rd at Chermside.

Insurance giant AAMI analysed data from more than 360,000 accident claims in the 12 months to June 30, which included the pandemic lockdown.

While Bruce Highway topped the state, Darwin’s Stuart Highway claimed four of the top five hotspots.

A serious crash on the Bruce Highway at Caboolture.

AAMI’s Head of Motor Claims Anna Cartwright said the top spot came as no surprise, especially with the two truck stop service stations and a busy exit at the Caboolture stretch.

“There’s a lot going on along this section of the highway,” Ms Cartwright said.

“It’s the last major exit heading north from the greater Brisbane suburbs catering for Bribie Island, Caboolture and out west to Kilcoy, and is renowned for having high volumes of traffic entering and exiting.

“It’s also part of the commute between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, which is notoriously busy at peak hours and weekends when people are heading north Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and returning home on Sunday.”

The 2021 AAMI Crash Index revealed Morayfield Road came in third position for the worst roads, closely followed by Ipswich Road, Annerley (fourth), while Mains Road, Sunnybank came in seventh place and Moggill Road, Indooroopilly in 10th.

An incident on the Bruce Highway with helicopter landing to transport patient. Picture: Vicki Wood / Caboolture News

Nose-to-tail crashes remain the most common collisions, while Sunday afternoons between 1pm and 4.30pm are dangerous times for motorists.

Inattention and peak-hour frustrations were also “a real recipe for disaster”.

“Motorists need to pay full attention and adhere to the basics like maintaining a safe distance behind the car in front and always being aware of what is happening around you,” Ms Cartwright said.

“All it takes is for you to take your eyes off the road for a split second for things to go wrong.” National statistics show that road deaths have increased by more than 5 per cent in this year, with the toll sitting at 1,142 deaths – an increase of 55.

In September, the national road toll was 84 deaths, down by the average of 94 deaths for the same month.

However, Queensland recorded a nearly 17 per cent increase in deaths compared to this time last year.