‘Completely inadequate’: SA drivers identify state’s riskiest roads

An infamous city-edge roundabout and a rural road have been voted among SA’s riskiest roads, but a problematic northern suburbs stretch has caused the most concern. See the list.

Dylan Hogarth

@DylanHogarth7

3 min read

April 16, 2025 - 6:47AM

RAA SA's top 10 Risky Roads revealed. Picture: Supplied

SA News

Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.

A notorious stretch of road in Adelaide’s fast growing northern suburbs has been voted SA’s most risky road.

Curtis Rd between Munno Para and Angle Vale received the most nominations as part of RAA’s latest Risky Roads survey.

Data revealed Curtis Rd saw 143 crashes where someone was injured or killed between 2019-2023 with the number of vehicles using the road growing by 21 per cent since 2017, with sections of the road carrying more than 24,000 vehicles each day.

RAA SA's top 10 Risky Roads revealed - Curtis Rd. Picture: Supplied

It comes after a report into a proposed 1300-home estate said the road was over capacity at points and would need full duplication to cope with new housing.

Now, more than 100 residents dobbed in the road for its severe congestion and safety concerns in the RAA’s Risky Roads poll - the state’s biggest survey aimed at identifying unsafe roads and intersections.

Local Craig Underwood said the stretch of road struggled to handle the volume of traffic it takes on daily, causing safety concerns.

“Living in Angle Vale where the population has grown disproportionately to the available services, we find ourselves having to use Curtis Rd continually,” he said.

RAA SA's top 10 Risky Roads revealed - Metro map. Picture: Supplied

RAA SA's top 10 Risky Roads revealed -Regional roads. Picture: Supplied

“The single lane road is completely inadequate for the volume of traffic with huge delays caused by traffic bank-ups at single lane roundabouts.

“The very dangerous set of lights on the corner of Peachey Rd and Curtis Rd sees accidents several times per week.

He said new developments had put pressure on the road and he estimated accidents were happening on almost a daily basis.

“The new Aldi built on the corner of Andrews Rd and Curtis Rd has caused increased danger as motorists attempt to turn right from the car park,” he said.

“The most dangerous area is where Curtis Rd intersects with Heaslip Rd and accidents occur nearly every day.”

According to the survey, Curtis Rd is home to the state’s riskiest intersection – at the junction with Heaslip Rd in Angle Vale.

And, a fellow Curtis Rd intersection takes second place on the intersections list with the corner of Curtis and Andrews roads identified.

In second place overall on the Risky Roads poll was Victor Harbor Rd, voted the riskiest regional road in the state.

It is one of five Fleurieu Peninsula roads in the top 10 of the regional roads list.

Last year, RAA welcomed a $30m funding announcement for a dual lane roundabout at the Curtis Rd and Heaslip Road intersection, as well as the $125m in the federal budget to remove the level crossing on Curtis Rd.

However, the RAA believes duplicating Curtis Rd is imperative to reduce the number of crashes and improve traffic flow.

RAA Senior Traffic Engineer Matt Vertudaches said the survey highlighted the pressure on Adelaide’s road network, especially in the northern suburbs.

“Clearly, drivers in the northern suburbs aren’t satisfied with the condition of many of their roads – seven of the top 10 metro roads were located north of Adelaide,” Mr Vertudaches said.

“This result was not unexpected, and reinforces RAA’s calls for infrastructure investment in the northern suburbs following the Northern Adelaide Transport Study.

“Curtis Rd in particular has been a bug bear of locals for many years as the population in the area has grown.

“Ultimately, however, Curtis Rd needs to be duplicated, where a dual roadway is constructed to improve traffic flow, to cater for the growth in the area.