Liverpool, Parramatta home to Sydney's most dangerous roads

The biggest accident hot-spots in Sydney have been revealed, and it will probably come as no surprise to commuters that all of them can be found in the west.

The Hume Highway at Liverpool has taken out the top spot for a staggering sixth year in a row, while the Church Street exit on the M4 at Parramatta has seen a significant increase, moving to second place on the list as thousands of drivers try to avoid toll roads.

“The Liverpool stretch of Hume Highway is notorious for congestion and collisions, as it has been a constant fixture in Sydney’s top ten crash hotspots for more than half a decade,” says AAMI Head of Motor Customer Engagement Tammy Hall said.

“This busy multi-lane road intersects with other main roads at various entry points, making it prone to extreme congestion, especially during peak periods.”

There are a number of new entries on the annual list as well, including the M5 at Moorebank, the M4 at Blacktown and Richmond Road in Marsden Park - one of the fastest growing areas in the entire city where infrastructure is struggling to keep up as traffic grows exponentially. But while many of these problem areas have their own unique features, they appear to have plenty in common as well.

“These hotspots are generally major roads, intersecting with local streets through high-traffic industrial, educational and shopping centre precincts, making them consistently busy throughout theday, so it’s no surprise that these locations appeared in the top ten this year,” said Ms Hall.

“Another factor to consider is changing traffic conditions and speed limits that are commonly seen on motorway on and off ramps,“

The findings have been revealed by the 2023 AAMI Crash Index, which analyses over 350,000 insurance claims nationwide.

The findings also revealed that male drivers were far more likely to be involved in accidents in NSW, most accidents occurred during afternoon commutes home and, tellingly, the majority of accidents were nose-to-tail prangs or 'rear-enders'.

“Tailgating, driver distraction and potentially road rage can lead to nose to tail collisions, and to avoid them, drivers in New South Wales need to travel at a safe distance behind the car in front and ensure they are paying attention at all times,” Ms Hall said.

“Bumper to bumper collisions often happen during peak hour traffic when the roads are busy, patience is wearing thin, drivers are tired from the day, and are in a rush to get to their destination. This is when accidents most commonly occur."