Summer is here and you’re about to hit the road. Do you know the most common crash types and how to avoid them?
Words: Jeremy Rochow
More than 60,000 crashes were reported in South Australia between 2019 and 2023, and there’s one crash type that’s more prominent than the rest.
Read on to find out the three most common crash types in SA and what you can do while driving to avoid becoming a statistic.
Top five crash types in summer (2019–2023)
1.
REAR END
2.
RIGHT ANGLE
3.
HIT FIXED OBJECT
4.
SIDE SWIPE
5.
RIGHT TURN
1. Watch out in front
THE SCENARIO: You’re behind the wheel and driving along the Southern Expressway during the late afternoon. It’s busy and you’re a little close to the car in front, but you think it’s okay because there’s a lot of traffic. Suddenly a car further up the road cuts off a truck. The truck driver slams on the brakes and it causes a chain reaction of people stopping suddenly.
Unfortunately, being too close to the car in front means you don’t have enough time to stop safely, and end up having a rear-end crash.
Thankfully nobody is seriously hurt, but this is a common scenario that plays out on many South Australian roads – and sometimes the injuries are far more serious.
THE FACTS: Rear-end crashes are the most common crash type on South Australian roads. They made up almost a quarter of reported crashes across the state between 2019 and 2023. During that period, more than 3700 occurred during the summer months with about 1200 resulting in injuries to those involved.
A study by the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR) at the University of Adelaide found that a mix of distraction, inattention and unsafe lane changes, like the scenario above, were the major causes of rear-end crashes.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: First, when driving, you should leave a three-second gap between you and the car in front, which is about 50m (eight to nine car lengths) when travelling at 60km/h and more than 80m at 100km/h.
RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says the risk of a rear-end crash can be greatly reduced by always maintaining a safe distance between your vehicle and the car in front of you.
“There are drivers that intentionally tailgate aggressively, while others don’t realise how small of a gap they have between their vehicle and the one in front,” Charles says.
“When driving, identify a fixed object up ahead, such as a road sign, and count a full three seconds between when the car in front passes the object to when you pass it.
“When you first try this, you’ll probably be quite surprised at how much distance you should be leaving.”
Visibility can be a problem in summer so make sure you have a clean windscreen and a good set of sunglasses to ensure you can see the vehicle in front clearly when there’s glare from the sun.
2. T-bone terror
THE SCENARIO: You’re driving along Sturt Road towards Marion Road at Bedford Park. As you pass through one of Adelaide’s busiest intersections another motorist runs the red light and crashes into the side of your vehicle.
This is a right-angle crash, also known as a T-bone collision. These crash types can occur at crossroads, T-junctions and even roundabouts.
THE FACTS: Between 2019 and 2023 more than 3000 right angle-crashes occurred on our state’s roads during summer. Of those, 1055 resulted in injuries to those involved. In 2023 alone, right-angle collisions caused 17 fatalities in South Australia.
Many factors can cause right-angle crashes, including drivers failing to stop at red lights and give way or stop signs. Like many other crash types, it can also be due to driver distraction, speeding, careless driving or even being at the wheel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Poor weather conditions, like sun glare or rain, can also make it harder for drivers to see oncoming traffic at intersections.
Lastly, obstructions such as cars parked along a road can make it tricky for a driver to see approaching traffic at an intersection.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: There are a few things you can do to try to avoid T-bone collisions.
“Drive defensively and be vigilant when approaching an intersection,” Charles says. “That means scan the intersection as you approach, cover the brake pedal and watch out for any drivers who haven’t stopped at a red light or stop and give way signs.”
When coming to an intersection where you have to give way, slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. When turning right, look for a safe gap in the approaching traffic and pay particular attention to cyclists that may be obscured by the approaching traffic. Remember to give way to any pedestrians crossing the road that you’re about to turn into.
At traffic lights, pause briefly after the lights turn green and check cars aren’t running a yellow or red light before you move off.
3. Roadside hazards
THE SCENARIO: You’re heading on a road trip to the Limestone Coast. You’re driving along the Riddoch Highway when you notice a few fatality road markers along the side of the road.
Unfortunately, these markers are commonplace in some South Australian regional areas. In fact, 70 per cent of crashes where lives were lost in 2024 occurred on regional roads and almost a third of these were due to motorists hitting fixed objects such as trees.
THE FACTS: Between 2019 and 2023 there were 2394 crashes in summer where a vehicle hit a fixed object like a Stobie pole or tree. Of those, 800 were casualty crashes and 42 lives were lost.
According to CASR, factors that contribute to fatal crashes and hitting fixed objects on regional roads include losing control of the vehicle, distraction, fatigue and excessive speed.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: If you’re planning to head off on a road trip to visit regional South Australia during the festive period or summer school holidays, it’s important to be well prepared and understand risk factors when driving on country roads.
Fatigue is a contributing factor in one in 10 fatal crashes, so make sure you’re well rested before you leave home.
“Fatigue impacts your judgement and reduces your concentration,” says Charles. “If you’re driving for long periods, take a 15-minute break every couple of hours. Share the driving on long journeys and don’t drive any more than 10 hours in a day.”
While there isn’t a specific offence for driving while fatigued, you can be fined $221 plus a $105 Victims of Crime Levy for not having proper control of your vehicle.
Speed is also a contributing factor in regional crashes, with 88 per cent of fatalities occurring on country roads where the speed limit is 80km/h or above.
“Inappropriate speed is a major factor in serious and fatal crashes,” Charles says.
“When driving on rural roads, drive to the conditions and remember that the safe speed may be lower than the signposted speed limit. “At the end of the day, we want drivers to arrive safely at their destination.”
Summer crash stats
SA summer crashes 2019–2023 (reported*)
SA summer casualty crashes 2019–2023
Lives lost on South Australian roads between December 2024 and February 2025
*Reported crashes are when a person is injured or killed, if the crash involves a vulnerable road user or a heavy vehicle, or when a vehicle needs to be towed. Source: Department for Infrastructure and Transport
IMAGES: Getty.
