What is it about Fridays and traffic? For many years now I’ve had a feeling that drivers seem to be at their most aggressive on Fridays. At least that’s how it feels in my home city of Melbourne. Whenever I’ve noticed multiple instances on a single day of cars tooting angrily it’s a Friday.
To me it seems counterintuitive. Wouldn’t the last day of the working week be the day when drivers are more likely to be in a good mood? Or are they more irritable in traffic because they’re are tired after working for five days straight?
Every time I’ve noticed this I’ve put it aside as most likely not being an actual phenomenon. It has happened once or twice on a Friday and I’ve made a mental note of it, with the memory of this triggered only when days such as this occur on a Friday.
As it turns out, though, I should perhaps have more faith in my own instincts, because the latest data analysis from insurance giant AAMI shows that Friday is the most dangerous day on our roads.
And that’s not just in my home state of Victoria. Traffic is at its most dangerous on a Friday in all Australian states and territories.
Where are the traffic danger spots?
We now know when it’s dangerous to be out and about in traffic, but we still don’t know why. That’s not an element covered in AAMI’s analysis. The analysis does, however, tell us where it is most dangerous. Its 2024 Crash Index report reveals the five major hotspots in each state and territory.
In the most populous state, New South Wales, a stretch of the Hume Highway in the south-west Sydney suburb of Liverpool has been identified as the number one crash hotspot in the state. Traffic is particularly tricky around the Elizabeth Drive intersection – mainly due to the nearby hospital and shopping centre, AAMI says.
Plenty Road in Bundoora, 15km north-east of Melbourne’s CBD, is the worst place for traffic danger in Victoria, the report found. Speed limits along the main arterial were lowered recently, but the effects are not yet apparent. Other Melbourne hotspots include the Burwood Highway, the Maroondah Highway and two separate stretches of Springvale Road. All four are in the eastern suburbs.
How we’re crashing
In five of our eight major states and territories, the most common type of crash is the nose-to-tail variety. It seems that years of being reminded to make sure we leave enough space between our car and the one in front of us has not sunk in.
The three exceptions in this category were South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. The most common crash type in those jurisdictions was a collision with a stationary object.
Traffic school
What can we learn from this data? It would appear paying attention to the road ahead might be a good place to start. Whether it’s moving traffic or a parked vehicle, our eyes should be firmly focused ahead of our own vehicle.
Such vigilance would seem to be more important on a Friday. That’s a day on which showing a little bit of extra patience might also be a good idea.
To see the traffic hotspots in each state click here and select a state or territory. For AAMI’s full Crash Index report, incorporating a decade of data, click here.
Have you noticed traffic to be more hazardous in your area on a Friday? Why do you think that might be so? Let us know via the comments section below.
