Do Canberrans have something against wildlife or do animals just like jumping out at cars in the nation’s capital?
Car insurer AAMI has revealed the top hot spots in each Australian state and the ACT (it is sans Northern Territory) to hit wildlife, finding that the nation’s capital Canberra is where motorists are most likely to take out wildlife with their car.
The finding comes from researching 21,000 AAMI animal collision claims between 1 February 2019 and 31 January 2020, with the group listing the top hot spots in each state and territory.
Behind Canberra was Dubbo in NSW, followed by Heathcote in Victoria – where the Heathcote drag strip is located – and Roma in Queensland. The remaining three hot spots in order were Baldvis in Western Australia, Port Augusta in South Australia, and Kingston in Tasmania.
AAMI’s head of motor claims, Anna Cartwright, says drivers need to be on the lookout for wildlife as we head into the danger period between May and August when we can expect a jump of around 15 per cent.
“Now is the time for drivers to keep their eyes peeled for wildlife crossing roads, and be extra vigilant especially at dawn and dusk when visibility can be difficult, and nocturnal animals are more active.”
Here are the top five places in each state to have a collision with wildlife.
Top animal collision hotspots per state
New South Wales
- Dubbo
- Goulburn
- Mudgee
- Cooma
- Inverell
Victoria
- Heathcote
- Gisborne
- Wallan
- Sunbury
- Woodend
Queensland
- Roma
- Goondiwindi
- Moranbah
- Middlemount
- St George
Western Australia
- Baldivis
- Nannup
- Busselton
- Karratha
- Margaret River
South Australia
- Port Augusta
- Mount Gambier
- Coober Pedy
- Morgan
- Whyalla
Tasmania
- Kingston
- Launceston
- Cambridge
- Hobart
- George Town
Australian Capital Territory
- Canberra
- Kambah
- Belconnen
- Hume
- Symonston
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Nyah West to Kerang is my pick.
I helped my son do a school project in 1998 on roads and accidents in the ACT. Statistics then showed that animals were involved in 50% of reported accidents. Seems that very little has changed and at that time you certainly knew when you arrived at the ACT border because of all the dead carcasses (Kangaroos) from then on.
Romsey Rd to Woodend- dead Kangas everywhere. Mind you they are in plague numbers up there at the moment so I suppose the cars are helping the local farmers at least. Good for panel beaters too I guess.