Most types of road accident are increasing, with driver distraction largely to blame, according to AAMI’s annual crash index.

People taking their eyes off the road or trying to “multi-task” are the most common causes of accidents, the insurer says.

The NT had the dubious distinction of recording the highest proportion of collisions with a stationary object last financial year, at 31% of accidents.

Tasmania was next on 29%, with SA at 24%. Nationally, 18% of all crashes involved a stationary object, down on previous years. Collisions with animals also declined.

Nose-to-tail collisions were the most common accidents, accounting for 31% of the total.

Victoria had the highest percentage at 33%. Rear-ending commonly occurs in highly congested areas in peak-hour traffic. The national average was 31%.

AAMI analysed more than 360,000 accidents last financial year.

About 26% of car accidents in NSW were caused by drivers failing to give way to other road users, the highest in the country. Victoria was second at 25% and the national average was 23%. The index links this behaviour to impatient driving and lapses in judgment.

About 12% of collisions happened while reversing, 8% of crashes involved a parked car and 6% an animal.

Some 16% of all accidents were on Fridays, the most common day of the week for crashes.