Data drawn from more than 69,000 motor collision claims lodged with NRMA Insurance in 2026 shows that rear-end crashes and failure-to-give-way incidents are the two most frequent collision types recorded by the insurer. The figures were released during National Road Safety Week by IAG, the parent company of NRMA Insurance. Rounding out the top eight collision categories are reversing incidents, hits on stationary objects, single-vehicle accidents, animal collisions, unsafe manoeuvres, and head-on collisions – a spread that points to a mix of low-speed urban driving errors and higher-speed rural road incidents.
The claims data sits alongside a separate IAG consumer survey, conducted in August 2025 by Pureprofile across 2,024 drivers of ADAS-enabled vehicles, which found that six in 10 Australian drivers are actively disabling the driver-assist safety features in their vehicles. Only one in three drivers keeps ADAS active as a default, and an equal proportion describes the systems as distracting. ADAS – which encompasses technologies such as autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert – is specifically engineered to reduce the frequency and severity of crash types that appear consistently in NRMA Insurance’s claims data, including rear-end collisions, lane departures, and impacts with stationary objects.
“The safety benefits of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are well established globally. However, 60% of Australian drivers tell us they are actively turning off driver-assist safety features in their cars, meaning those people are missing out on realising the safety benefits – and that’s a major concern," said Shawn Ticehurst, head of the IAG Research Centre. The survey also identified a gap in driver education. Nearly seven in 10 Australians who recently completed driving lessons or a driving test reported that ADAS features were not covered at any point during that process. Meanwhile, four in five drivers said their understanding of ADAS came entirely from behind-the-wheel trial and error, and 70% indicated they would benefit from more structured guidance on how to use the systems. Almost half – 49% – had taken no steps beyond trial and error to learn how ADAS functions in their vehicle.
In response to these findings, IAG launched a field study in partnership with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the iMOVE Co-operative Research Centre. The study, based at the RACQ Mobility Centre in Brisbane, places 60 drivers from varied backgrounds and levels of ADAS familiarity in controlled test-track conditions across three vehicles – a Ford Everest, a BYD Atto 3, and a Mercedes-Benz GLE – chosen to represent a cross-section of the Australian market, from mainstream SUVs to electric vehicles to premium models with more advanced ADAS suites. QUT researchers explain each ADAS feature to participants before setting a practical driving challenge designed to activate the system’s warning functions. Drivers’ responses are recorded in real time, as are any shifts in their perception of the technology after direct interaction. Ticehurst said the study is designed to surface what is preventing Australian drivers from using ADAS features as intended: “IAG’s research seeks to understand what’s preventing Australian drivers from embracing ADAS safety features, what might encourage a behaviour shift, and guide practical solutions to make our roads safer.”
QUT Professor in Intelligent Transportation Systems Sebastien Glaser framed the research in the context of how quickly ADAS-equipped vehicles are entering the Australian fleet. According to the Austroads Future Vehicles Report, 40% of vehicles on Australian roads are forecast to be ADAS-enabled by 2031. “Right now, all new vehicles in Australia are equipped with different ADAS features, but we are yet to see their life-saving potential realised. This research project seeks to understand why. By investigating the potential impacts of specialised ADAS education on driver behaviour, this research aims to establish an actionable road map towards accident reduction in Australia,” Glaser said.
iMOVE managing director Ian Christensen pointed to driver confidence as a factor bearing on whether the technology delivers on its potential: “While driver-assist technologies have been shown to reduce accidents and save lives, the safety potential is reduced if drivers lack confidence in using them. To secure the benefits from their deployment, iMOVE is pleased to be working with IAG and QUT to explore the nature of this challenge and deliver better outcomes for the whole community.”
Beyond driver behaviour, the study will also examine how ADAS performance may change over the life of a vehicle, the extent to which correct ADAS use can reduce different crash types, and whether radar sensors remain serviceable after a vehicle collision. The findings are due to be published in the second half of 2026, and the project sits within the Australian government’s National Road Safety Strategy framework, which targets meaningful reductions in road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
On a separate front, NRMA Insurance recorded more than 15,000 animal collision claims in 2025 – a 21% rise from 2024 – with the bulk of incidents concentrated on regional and rural roads. Kangaroos were the animal most commonly involved, accounting for 84% of claims, with wallabies, wombats, deer, and foxes also featuring in the data. The insurer notes that animal collision risk climbs through autumn and winter, when shorter daylight hours push more wildlife activity into dawn, dusk, and night-time windows. NRMA Insurance advises drivers to avoid travel at dawn, dusk, and night where possible; schedule a 15-minute rest break every two hours on long trips; reduce speed through signposted wildlife zones; brake gradually rather than swerve when an animal is sighted; and contact a wildlife rescue service if an animal is struck and conditions allow.
The NRMA Insurance Research Centre has tracked a 121% increase in EV insurance quote starts in April 2026 compared with the same month in 2025. NRMA Insurance attributes the movement to ongoing fuel price fluctuations and concerns about supply. The figure contrasts with the insurer’s first Changing Gears report, published two years ago, which found only one in five Australians intending to buy a vehicle within five years was considering an EV, with upfront cost, range anxiety, and charging times cited as the main deterrents. A third edition of the Changing Gears report is scheduled for mid-2026 and will examine how current oil market conditions are shaping attitudes toward EV adoption in Australia, along with updated findings on remaining barriers. The Research Centre also works with industry bodies and universities on broader emerging-mobility questions, including the repair and insurance implications of the more than 100 EV models now available to Australian consumers.
