Why Hislop Road sees so many crashes and breakdowns
Hislop Road on its own is a suburban street. It runs north from Canning Highway into Attadale and Alfred Cove, towards the Swan River, and is used by local residents and by bus routes 148 and 158 on their way through Attadale. What makes it a crash spot is the way it meets the highway.
Rome Road joins Canning Highway from the south, but not directly opposite Hislop Road. The two are offset, forming what RAC WA calls a dog-leg intersection. Anyone wanting to cross from Hislop Road to Rome Road, or the other way, has to turn onto Canning Highway and then turn off again a few metres later. Meanwhile, highway traffic is moving through on four lanes, buses are stopping and starting, and drivers turning right have to find a gap in both directions.
In RAC WA’s 2025 Risky Roads survey, the Canning Highway, Rome Road and Hislop Road intersection in Melville ranked as the second riskiest intersection in metro Perth. It was the first time it had made the top 10. Nominators said it offered little chance to turn or cross traffic and had a confusing layout, and many suggested a roundabout as a fix. The survey drew more than 18,000 nominations, and RAC says more than half of the people who nominated a location had been involved in or seen a crash or near miss there.
For the broader picture of the highway, see our Canning Highway page, and for the southern side of this junction, our Rome Road page.
What to do after an accident on Hislop Road
Put your hazards on and check whether anyone is hurt. If someone is injured, or a car is stranded across Canning Highway and creating a danger, call 000 immediately. For non-urgent police help, call 131 444.
If the cars can be driven, the safest thing is to get off the highway. Pull into Hislop Road and park clear of driveways rather than staying in the intersection. Under WA law, the drivers involved must exchange names and addresses. Collect the other driver’s phone number, registration and insurer while you’re at it, and photograph both cars, their plates and the junction.
Then decide whether the crash needs to be reported. In WA, a report to police is required if anyone is injured, if the combined damage is more than $3,000, or if the owner of damaged property isn’t there to swap details. The online crash reporting facility on the WA Government website is how most people lodge it.
If your car isn’t safe to drive, our accident towing service will collect it, and through insurance towing we bill your insurer directly.
Suburbs around Hislop Road
Hislop Road runs through Attadale and Alfred Cove, north of Canning Highway. Across the highway, Rome Road heads south into Melville. The Canning Highway junction also puts you close to Bicton to the west and Applecross to the east.
How we help
We tow from Hislop Road, the Canning Highway junction and the rest of the Melville area 24/7. We bill your insurer directly and deliver the car to the repairer you choose. Call 0419 857 070 and tell us which side of the highway you’re on.