Why Joondalup Drive sees so many crashes and breakdowns
Joondalup Drive is about 12.6 kilometres long. It starts at a set of traffic lights on Ocean Reef Road in Edgewater and runs north through the Joondalup city centre, then east into the City of Wanneroo, ending near Old Yanchep Road on the far side of Banksia Grove, where the route continues as Neaves Road. It was extended to Banksia Grove in 2005, giving the newer suburbs a direct link to Joondalup and creating a through route from the Mitchell Freeway towards Bullsbrook and the Brand Highway.
Through the city centre, Joondalup Drive meets Lakeside Drive, Grand Boulevard, Hodges Drive, Shenton Avenue and Moore Drive, and gives access to the Joondalup industrial area, Lakeside Joondalup shopping centre and Arena Joondalup. That’s a lot of intersections, shoppers and commercial traffic in a short space. Further on there is a roundabout at Burns Beach Road, then a roundabout interchange with Wanneroo Road, and another roundabout with Pinjar Road at the edge of Banksia Grove.
The road is mostly a four-lane divided road but drops to a single lane each way east of Tumbleweed Drive. The route doesn’t get quieter once Joondalup Drive ends. RAC WA’s Risky Roads surveys named Neaves Road, from Banksia Grove to Bullsbrook, the third riskiest metro road in 2022 and ninth in 2025. If you’re heading that way, the end of Joondalup Drive is where you join a road that survey respondents rate among Perth’s riskiest. For the freeway at the other end, see our Mitchell Freeway page, and for the road it crosses in Wanneroo, our Wanneroo Road page.
What to do after an accident on Joondalup Drive
Start with your hazard lights and a quick check that no one is hurt. If someone is injured, or a car is sitting in a roundabout or across lanes where it creates danger, call 000. If you need police but it isn’t an emergency, the number is 131 444.
In the city centre, a drivable car can usually be moved into a side street or car park within a few metres. Do that before anything else. On the single-lane eastern section, get onto the verge and stand well away from passing traffic.
WA law requires everyone involved in a crash to exchange names and addresses. Note the other driver’s phone number, registration and insurer, and photograph the damage, the plates and the intersection or roundabout where it happened.
A crash must be reported to police in WA if anyone is injured, if total damage exceeds $3,000, or if the owner of damaged property isn’t around. You can do this through the online crash reporting facility on the WA Government website.
If your car isn’t safe to drive, our accident towing crew will collect it. With insurance towing, we bill your insurer directly.
Suburbs along Joondalup Drive
Joondalup Drive starts in Edgewater and runs through the centre of Joondalup. It crosses the northern edge of Wanneroo, passes through Carramar and Tapping, and finishes in Banksia Grove.
How we help
We tow on Joondalup Drive 24/7, from the city centre car parks to the semi-rural edge of Banksia Grove. We bill your insurer directly and take your car wherever you want it. Call 0419 857 070.