Where Are the Most Dangerous Roads in Australia?

From congested urban streets to coastal tourist routes and remote inland highways, wherever your journey takes you in Australia, it’s the country’s vast 463,000-kilometre-long network of sealed roads that keeps us all on the move.¹

But while most trips end safely, certain stretches of road consistently record higher crash rates than others. Forewarned is forearmed. Knowing which roads pose a higher risk ahead of time – and how to navigate them safely – may help reduce your chances of having an accident, or needing to make a claim on your car insurance.

In that spirit, we’ve put together this pro-active guide which profiles some of the most dangerous roads in Australia and offers some practical defensive driving tips that may help keep you, and your loved ones, safe when you’re behind the wheel.

What makes a road dangerous?

The Austroads Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) rates the safety status of Australian roads on a five-star scale – with one being the most dangerous – and says some of the defining features of a dangerous road are:²

• No separation between traffic travelling in opposite directions at high speed
• Narrow shoulders or lanes, which increase the risk of head-on collisions or running off the road
• Trees, poles, embankments and other roadside hazards close to the carriageway
• Poorly designed intersections
• Speed limits that are too high for the road
• Mountainous or winding roads with limited visibility or tight curves.²

For context, under the AusRAP star-rating system, for each improvement in star rating, the risk of a fatal or serious injury occurring on that road is halved.³

Tragically, 1,336 people lost their lives on Australian roads between February 2025 and February 2026.⁴ And, with the national road toll increasing, experts say road safety factors such as deteriorating road quality and speed limits on smaller and rural roads, could be part of the problem.⁵

What is the most dangerous road in Australia?

It’s not possible to identify precisely which road – or roads, for that matter – pose the greatest risk to drivers in Australia, as each state and territory collects different data on crashes and not all transport bodies provide commentary on specific roads.

However, with the help of available data from Queensland, New South Wales, ​ ​Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria, we’ve dug down into the statistics to identify some of Australia’s most dangerous roads.

Are these the 10 most dangerous roads in Australia?

This list puts the spotlight on 10 of Australia’s high-risk highways and roads – in alphabetical order – based on a combination of annual crash volumes, fatality rates and AusRAP star ratings.

​​

Albany Highway, WA

WA’s 430-kilometre-long Albany Highway connects Perth to the port city of Albany and has an AusRAP rating of 3.1 stars.⁶ In 2023, the most recent data period available, this highway saw a sobering 766 crashes and one fatality.⁷

Brooker Avenue, Tas

A relatively short road, Brooker Avenue cuts through Hobart’s central suburbs. This unassuming spot was the location of 47 crashes in 2025, many of which occurred at the intersection of Liverpool Street.⁸

Browns Plains Road, Qld

A much shorter road than some of the other entries on this list, the Logan City stretch of Browns Plains Road nonetheless recorded 44 accidents in 2024, the highest rate for any single stretch of road in the state, according to Queensland Government data.⁹

Bruce Highway, Qld

The Bruce Highway, which stretches from Brisbane to Cairns, has been named as Queensland’s most dangerous road.¹⁰ In 2024, Queensland drivers had 542 accidents on the Bruce Highway, with 170 occurring between Brisbane and Gympie and 49 on the section from Innisfail to Cairns.⁹

Great Western Highway, NSW

Running from Bathurst to Sydney, the Great Western Highway has an AusRAP rating of just 2.7 stars in some sections, while other areas are rated 3.3.⁶ In 2024 alone, this stretch of road saw 421 incidents, 279 of which occurred within the Sydney metropolitan area.¹¹

Kwinana Freeway, WA

In 2023, the most recent data available, 935 crashes were recorded along Perth’s Kwinana Freeway, three of which were fatal.⁷ A recent national study has identified Kwinana as the most dangerous road in Australia.¹⁰

Pacific Highway, NSW

The NSW stretch of the Pacific Highway has a current AusRAP rating of 3.8,⁶ yet it was the site of 688 of the state’s car accidents in 2024.¹¹ The most frequent crash locations were at Coffs Harbour, where 45 crashes occurred, Chinderah (22 crashes) and Cowan (20 crashes).¹¹

Princes Highway, Vic

On Victoria’s Princes Highway, which stretches across the state, 219 car accidents occurred in 2024. Of these, 45 happened at Casey, 32 at Cardinia and 26 at Geelong.¹² Princes Highway East has been rated 3.1 stars by AusRAP, while Princes Highway West scores slightly higher at 3.3.⁶

Sydney Road, Vic

Victoria’s Sydney Road is part of the Hume Highway, which has a robust overall AusRAP rating of 4.8 stars.⁶ However, on this particular stretch of road 124 crashes were recorded in 2024, 44 of which occurred at Hume, 25 at Merri-Bek and 53 at Moreland.¹²

Tasman Highway, Tasmania

The Tasman Highway connects the North and South of Australia’s southernmost state. And, in 2025, 207 accidents were recorded on the highway, 34 of which occurred at Montagu Bay, 20 at Cambridge and 18 at Queens Domain.⁸

Defensive driving tips for dangerous roads

While it’s a good idea to always be prepared for an incident on the road, whether it’s a flat tyre or a collision with wildlife, driving safely is known to help reduce your risk of being involved in a crash.¹³

Defensive driving blends proactive and reactive skills to help you stay safe on the road.¹⁴ Here are a few tips and suggestions you might want to use when you’re next behind the wheel:

Obey the speed limit

Speed is a major factor in serious traffic crashes.¹⁵ And posted speed limits aren’t arbitrary – they are set by experts and calculated based on a road’s qualities to help prevent crashes, and help to make accidents that do occur less serious.¹⁶

Even small changes in speed create big risks. For example, driving just 5km/h over the limit in a 60-kilometre zone has been shown to double your risk of having a crash.¹⁷

Know what’s around you

Another good tip is to always keep an eye on what’s happening around you on the road. You can do this by using your rear and side mirrors, but it’s also important to do a head check to make sure there’s nothing in your blind spot – especially before you change lanes, pull into traffic, turn or temporarily enter a bus or bike lane.¹⁸

Keep your distance

On any road, it’s recommended to stay a healthy distance behind the car in front. A useful rule of thumb to remember is to leave at least a three-second gap, or more if conditions aren’t ideal. You can check this by:¹⁸

• Choosing an object at the side of the road, such as a sign
• Waiting for the car in front of you to pass it, then start counting the seconds
• Stop counting once your vehicle reaches the object.¹⁸

If you reach the object within three seconds, you’re probably too close.¹⁸

Avoid distracted driving

At 50km/h taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds means travelling blind for around 28 meters.¹⁹

Mobile phones, GPS systems, interesting landscapes and even wandering thoughts can all pose serious distractions when you’re driving.¹⁹

By contrast, staying focused on the road can help drivers maintain a regular speed, stay in their lane and improve their reaction time to hazards such as pedestrians, sudden traffic and signs.¹⁹

Adjust to weather and light conditions

Driving in fog, rain, snow and bright sunlight are all reasons to take extra care.²⁰

In poor conditions, it can be helpful to:²⁰

• Reduce your speed
• Use headlights or fog lights
• Keep a safe distance between yourself and other vehicles.²⁰

FAQs about dangerous roads

Have further questions about safe driving on some of Australia’s riskiest roads? We’ve answered a few common queries below.

Is the Great Ocean Road dangerous?

Victoria’s Great Ocean Road – one of Australia’s most iconic drives – isn’t among the country’s most dangerous roads, recording just 36 accidents in 2024.¹²

However, the road is popular with visitors to the state so can be busy and features winding, mountainous terrain, so it’s well worth taking extra care along that route.²¹

Are country roads more dangerous than metropolitan roads?

Yes, ​ ​Australia’s rural and outback roads tend to be more dangerous than roads in the city. In fact, data suggests that regional drivers are five times more likely to die in a road crash than drivers in metropolitan areas.²²

Why are rural roads more dangerous? Some of the reasons are that country roads tend to have:²³

• Higher speeds
• Single carriageways
• Poorer surface conditions
• Increased roadside hazards.²³

Can I report a dangerous road?

If there’s an emergency or you’ve been involved in a serious car accident, call 000 right away.²⁴ Otherwise, get in touch with the relevant state or territory authority to find out how to report a dangerous road near you.

• NSW – Transport for NSW
• Vic – Transport Victoria
• Qld – Department of Transport and Main Roads
• WA – Main Roads Western Australia
• SA – Department for Infrastructure and Transport
• Tas – Transport Services
• ACT – Access Canberra
• NT – Northern Territory Government

Whether you’re parked at home, in a car park or travelling on one of the most dangerous roads in Australia, accidents can and do happen – and that’s where being covered by car insurance can help keep you moving.²⁵

At Youi, Comprehensive car insurance covers accidental damage to your car and other people’s cars or property – even if you need to make an insurance claim for an accident that was your fault.²⁶ So, if you’re looking to compare or renew your car insurance, why not consider starting a quote online or by giving us a call on 13 9684.

Note: Information in this article is relevant as of March 2026 and by its nature will change over time. Check relevant Government websites for updates if this information is important to you.

¹ Source: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts – Road, 2024
² Source: ​ ​Drive – One-star rating: These are Australia’s most dangerous roads, November 2025
³ Source: AustRoads – AusRAP FAQs, 2026
⁴ Source: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts – Monthly road deaths, March 2026
⁵ Source: The Guardian – Australia’s 2025 road toll: NSW records highest number of deaths in eight years as fatalities rise nationwide, January 2026
⁶ Source: AustRoads – National AusRAP Dashboard
⁷ Source: ​ ​Main Roads WA – Crash Information (Last 5 Years), June 2025
⁸ Source: Information supplied to Youi by the Tasmanian Government Department of State Growth, March 2026
⁹ Source: ​ ​Qld Government – Road crash locations, June 2025
¹⁰ Source: Sunshine Coast News – Queensland drivers warned as Bruce Highway tops danger index, March 2026
¹¹ Source: ​ ​Data.gov.au – NSW Crash Data, October 2025
¹² Source: ​ ​Transport Victoria – Victorian Road Crash Data
¹³ Source: NSW Government – Safe driving behaviour, 2026
¹⁴ Source: Drive – What to expect from a defensive driver training course, March 2024
¹⁵ Source: Queensland Police – The Fatal Five – staying safe on the roads, February 2026
¹⁶ Source: Transport Victoria – Speed limits
¹⁷ Source: NSW Government – Casual Speeding. Every K Counts, 2026
¹⁸ Source: Transport Victoria – Safe driving tips
¹⁹ Source: Transport Accident Commission – Distracted driving
²⁰ Source: Transport Accident Commission – Drivers
²¹ Source: VicRoads – Great Ocean Road Safe Driving Tips
²² Source: Australian Automobile Association – Regional motorists are at greater road risk than city drivers, April 2025
²³ Source: National Road Safety Strategy – Factsheet: Regional road safety
²⁴ Source: Transport Victoria – Road issues and enquiries
²⁵ Source: Canstar – Car insurance explained, October 2024
²⁶ Exclusions, limits and additional fees may apply. For full details, see the Car Insurance PDS.