Hume Highway is Sydney's most accident-prone road

An annual study conducted by AAMI car insurance revealed that between August 2015 to August 2016 the Hume Highway – for a second year in a row – was the busiest and most accident-prone stretch of road in Sydney.

The M4 Motorway through Parramatta sits as the second most dangerous stretch of road and the Pennant Hills Road in Pennant comes in at number three.

AAMI spokesman Jake Krausmann said the rankings could be attributed to heavy traffic and congestion during peak periods and varying traffic conditions.

“With multiple sets of traffic lights and a number of major roads feeding into it, the Hume Highway often experiences heavy congestion along the Liverpool stretch,” he said.

“The M4 in Parramatta also has large volumes of traffic going eastbound in the mornings. Roadworks in the region are also causing unpredictable conditions, especially during peak periods and closures at night.

“Pennant Hills Road connects the M2 to the M1, and it attracts a high volume of heavy vehicles. This stretch of road is renowned for congested conditions during peak times.”

As part of the crash index, AAMI surveyed 4,090 drivers from across the country, and discovered that almost 70 per cent of those who experienced a car accident in the past five years believed it could have been avoided.​

According to the survey, one in four drivers admitted to sending a text message, or answering a call without hands free while driving, despite nearly 85 per cent believing that drivers should not use a mobile while driving even if they were careful.

“Pleasingly, of those who had experienced an accident in the past five year nearly 50 per cent have changed their driving behaviour since their accident,” Mr Krausmann said.

“And interestingly more than three quarters of drivers believed tougher penalties for unsafe behaviour would reduce accidents.”