Black Spot Program

The Black Spot Program is an annual investment program in road safety infrastructure. It aims to significantly reduce road crashes and trauma. The program focuses on high-risk roads or roads with a proven crash history.

The program is highly effective in reducing crash risks and improving road safety. It achieves this by implementing affordable, high-impact projects that improve safety outcomes. These projects help prevent fatalities and injury crashes within the community.

The Australian Government funds the Black Spot Program. Funding is subject to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development's approval.

Everyone is encouraged to nominate a black spot, such as:

  • local road authorities
  • community groups
  • associations
  • road user groups
  • industry
  • individuals.

Nominating a Black Spot

Nominations for the 2026–2027 program have closed and are being assessed.

The 2025–2026 program was approved in November 2025. See the list of approved projects.

Everyone is encouraged to submit a nomination. You can nominate either:

  • directly using the nomination form and guidelines on this page
  • through the relevant road authority:

What to consider before nominating

  • Identify the road safety issue you believe is associated with the site.
  • Contact and consult with the local road authority.
  • Determine the casualty crash rate at the site within the last 5 years (2020–2024).

Black Spot Program projects do not include red light cameras, speed cameras, vegetation control or maintenance concerns.

Determining the casualty crash rate

A casualty crash is defined as either a fatal or an injury crash. It excludes crashes with only vehicle or property damage.

In urban areas over the last 5 years, check if there's been either:

  • 3 or more casualty crashes at an intersection or length less than 3 km
  • 0.2 crashes per km per year for a length longer than 3 km.

In rural areas over the last 5 years, check if there's been either:

  • 2 or more casualty crashes at an intersection or length less than 3 km
  • 0.13 crashes per km per year for a length longer than 3 km.

For crash rate calculations, refer to the urban and rural boundary map (PDF, 838.1 KB). This map was last updated in July 2024.

How to apply for funding

Step 1: Read criteria and guidelines
Step 2: Review additional information for nominations

The crash data is confidential. The data belongs to SA Police and is for analysing crashes only. Crash data is often preliminary and may change as investigations are undertaken.

You must not share the data, username or password.

To request access, email DIT.SABlackspots@sa.gov.au with your full name, position and email address.

Step 3: Complete and submit nomination forms

You must use these templates, forms and supporting information to prepare nominations.

Incomplete or late nominations will not be considered.

Email completed nomination forms with supporting information to DIT.SABlackspots@sa.gov.au.

Nomination form

Supporting information

For reactive projects, you must provide the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) based on crash history with your nomination.

You can use one of these methods to calculate the BCR to determine the highest benefit:

  • Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) method
  • Austroads crash type method.

You must use the latest BCR spreadsheet. It adopts BITRE's crash cost methods and Austroads' updated crash type costs methods. This makes the BCR method consistent with those used in other road safety programs.

Please enable the macros before using these spreadsheets.

Step 4: Assessment and approval

The South Australian Consultative Black Spot Panel assesses and endorses recommended nominations for the program. The Australian Government will then consider and approve these nominations.

Panel members include:

  • South Australian Road Transport Association
  • South Australian Freight Council
  • Traffic Management Association of Australia
  • Royal Automobile Association of South Australia
  • Bicycle SA
  • Representatives of the Local Government Association
  • Representatives of the South Australian Minister for Road Safety
  • South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport
  • Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.

Nominations for level crossing-related projects are reviewed separately from road nominations. This is due to the specific risks at level crossings.

Program administration

We will assess and recommend projects. The Australian Government will provide final approval.

Councils that receive Black Spot Program funding must enter into a funding deed with the Department.

Administration forms

Once projects are approved and underway, please use the following administration forms.

Step 5: Provide additional information for physically completed projects

Once the project is physically completed, you must provide the following before funds can be released.

For projects that are fully funded by the Australian Government, refer to their Building Australia signage guidelines (PDF, 18.9 MB).

Provide us with other reporting. When you do this, make sure you follow the funding deed or other requirements. This includes the physical and financial status of the project.

Approved projects for South Australia

Contact us

Program Management, Transport Strategy and Planning

Email: DIT.SABlackspots@sa.gov.au

Related information

On this website