Nose-to-tail accidents are the most common type of crash at hotspot sites across Australia, a new study by Suncorp brand AAMI says, while Thursday is the most common day for a collision and afternoons the peak danger time.

The AAMI Crash Index analysed more than 360,000 motor insurance claims across Australia for the year to June. It found 1-to-4.30pm was the most common collision window, while males and motorists aged 35-49 were most likely to be involved in a hotspot crash.

AAMI Head of Motor Claims Anna Cartwright says hotspots usually comprised highways or busy arterial roads intersecting with local streets through busy industrial and shopping precincts.

“This means lots of vehicles are on these roads at various times of day – entering, exiting and merging,” she said, adding that while COVID lockdowns brought a dip in crash numbers, this bounced back quickly when restrictions were relaxed.

COVID had brought a “shift in traffic dynamics” as people were out of their normal routines, working from home and driving less, she said.

“Major arterial roads that were usually clogged up with people driving to and from work, university and school were not being used as much, and instead we found local suburban roads becoming the site of more collisions,” she said. “Even a short trip to the shops can put us at risk of a crash if we’re not paying attention.”

AAMI is calling on all Australians to be “SAFE” on the road: Slow down, Allow space, Follow conditions, and keep Eyes on the road.

Here are the top hotspots in each capital city:

Brisbane: Bruce Highway, Caboolture

Canberra: Monaro Highway, Hume

Sydney: Hume Highway, Liverpool

Melbourne: Plenty Road , Bundoora

Adelaide: South Road , Edwardstown

Hobart: Argyle Street , Hobart

Perth: Albany Highway, Cannington

Darwin: Stuart Highway, Coolalinga