The Stuart Highway near Adelaide River is the worst hot spot for vehicular accidents with the major highway identified as the most dangerous road in Darwin, according to the latest data from national insurer AAMI, with men found to be the predominant drivers involved in the crashes.

The highway, at various locations in the NT took out the top spots for vehicle crashes in the data, including at Alice Springs, Katherine and Berrimah in Darwin.

“Running from Darwin to Port Augusta in South Australia, Stuart Highway’s prevalence in the 2022 crash hot spot was unsurprising,” AAMI spokesperson Anna Cartwright said.

Based on the 2022 AAMI Crash Index—which investigated 350,000 accident insurance claims across Australia from July 2021 to June this year—the highway took four of the Northern Territory’s top five places in the index rankings with Stuart Highway along Adelaide River ranking first; Stuart Highway in Alice Springs, ranking second; Stuart Highway, Katherine ranking third; and Stuart Highway along Berrimah ranking fourth—cementing its position as among the most dangerous roads in Darwin.

“This busy stretch of the highway has a constant flow of traffic, with motorists coming and going to visit the many shops, accommodation and other amenities throughout the township of Adelaide River,” Ms Cartwright said.

The index indicated that hitting an animal was the predominant cause of crashes in this location at 40 per cent; with Friday as the day most accidents occur, at 35 per cent; and most crashes happening during evenings, at 30 per cent.

It was also noted that driver distraction is the leading cause of crashes with stationary objects.

Territory male drivers, and motorists aged 65 and above, and 35 to 49-year-old were most likely to be involved in an accident on the highway’s stretch.

“Regardless of the day or time, driving through one of the identified hot spots, dropping your kids off at school or simply popping out to the local shops, every time you get behind the wheel, we urge drivers throughout the NT to maintain focus on the task at hand, follow the speed limit and abide by all road rules,” AAMI said.

Since 1994, AAMI has been tackling road safety head-on by identifying locations where accidents most commonly occur across Australia.