Bruce Highway is the 'Highway of Shame' with 761 crashes over 13 years
Located in Queensland, Australia, Bruce Highway is said to be one of the most dangerous roads in the country. The most perilous elements for the road are illegal and dangerous overtaking, and the road's length. It’s one of the longest roads in Australia.
Where does the Bruce Highway start and finish?
The road is 1,677 km (1,042 mi) long, running north-south from Brisbane to Cairns. It’s a vital link for 11 coastal ports and west-east freight movements. It links the state capital, Brisbane, and Cairns in Far North Queensland, passing through areas close to the eastern coast and through major cities, including Maryborough, Rockhampton, Mackay, and Townsville. The highway connects the ports and business centers within southeast Queensland, offering accessibility to many coastal tourist attractions in Queensland. It also serves as a local roadway for many regional communities.
What is the Bruce Highway named after?
The road is named after the politician Henry Adam Bruce, the state Minister for Works in the mid-1930s.
Is the Bruce Highway paved?
Part of the Australian National Highway and the Highway 1, the road is totally paved with bitumen.
How busy is the Bruce Highway?
The highway carries huge traffic volumes daily, with the north of Brisbane segment witnessing more than 100,000 vehicle movements each day. The Bruce Highway is the single most important piece of public infrastructure in Queensland.
Is Bruce Highway safe?
Due to the number of accidents and, in a way, its sheer length, it still makes the dangerous list. It’s known as the 'Highway of Shame.' With 761 crashes over 13 years, it’s the region's number one crash zone. Bruce shoots down the East coast and is known for dangerous illegal overtaking and sometimes severe flooding. This road is responsible for 17% of the national highway deaths in Australia. Illegal overtaking is the primary cause of road accidents, with neglect from government maintenance also being an issue. Although you do have to bear in mind that the road is more than 1,500km long. The main danger is illegal and dangerous overtaking, so watch yourself. You might not see anyone for a while, be lured into a false sense of security and boom, you weren’t looking. And do remember, in Australia it’s illegal to drive with any of your body parts out of the car. It’s known as the biggest traffic carrier in the state. It is also prone to frequent flooding. These are possibly the reasons why there is a high rate of accidents that occur on this road. The Bruce Hwy roadside is not forgiving on driver error and is risky for drivers. There is a lot of truck traffic, and it is an undivided highway for the most part that carries high volumes of traffic so there is a high risk of head-on crashes.