Most Dangerous Roads in the World
Although sitting in traffic every weekly morning and night during your commute can be a frustrating ordeal many people in other parts of the world have more fatal road problems like sheer drops, narrow passages, slippery gravel roads, and terrorists. The following 10 roads are considered the most dangerous highways in the world.
10. Trollstigen, Norway
“The Troll Ladder” is a mountain road with a 9% incline and 11 hairpin bends that lead travelers who are mainly tourists to a large parking lot. Those that make it to the top can take pictures of the road and of the 320 meter long Stigfossen waterfall.
9. Luxor-al-Hurghada Road, Egypt
Travelers on this road that connect ancient city of Luxor to the touristy city of Hurghada turn their lights off as soon as the sun goes down. Although head on collisions are a regular occurrence, drivers would rather run the risk of an accident than attract the attention of bandits and terrorists.
8. Stelvio Pass Road, Trollstigen, Italy
This narrow mountain pass is the highest paved road in the Eastern Alps and is located in the Italian Alps. What makes this road so dangerous is the 48 hairpin bends, steep inclines, and extremely narrow roads all at around 2,757 meters high.
7. James Dalton Highway, Alaska
This 414 mile gravel road is the main route to and from the Prudhoe Bay Oilfields out in the artic tundra in the northernmost part of Alaska. Flying rocks, potholes, and slippery roads can lead to anything from a broken windshield to a car accident. Although this is part of the United States, don’t think that you will be able to get a tow truck, however, as service stations don’t exist. In fact, unless you drive a 4WD, own a CB radio, and have packed your vehicle with extra gas, food, tires, and supplies consider using another mode of transportation to get you where you need to go.
6. Arica to Iquique Road, Chile
This road leads travelers from the Peruvian border to Puerto Montt and welcomes road trippers with deep valleys, sheer drops, sudden thick fog, and if that weren’t enough, featureless scenery that can make your mind want to wander away. The vehicle skeletons that litter the bottom of the valleys, however, remind drivers to pay attention or they may end up down there too.
5. Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China
The 2,412 km highway winds through 14 high mountains which average at around 5,000 meters high, various swift moving rivers, and dense forests. Although this stretch of land is known for its intense beauty, it is also the cause of hundreds of fatalities mainly due to its height, landslides, and avalanches.
4. Patiopoulo-Perdikaki Road, Greece
This narrow dirt road connects Patiopoulo to Perdikaki with slippery and steep accents and descents riddled with potholes, animals, pedestrians, and sheer drops of both sides. Hundreds of fatalities have occurred here, mainly at night, as there are no guard rails or even lines to show where the edge is.
3. The Russian Federal Highway: Moscow to Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia
This highway connects Moscow to Siberia with a thick clay road that can quickly become knee deep and impassible with a little bit of summertime rain. Although the winter brings on massive amounts of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, the summer is the most dangerous time of the year. When the thick clay backs up traffic for 100 km, criminals have found a profit in beating, kidnapping, and robbing the poor people that are stuck in traffic.
2. Guoliang Tunnel Road, China
Local villagers dug out and built the 1200 meter long tunnel that is located in the Taihand Mountains in the Hunan Province. Not only is the wall uneven, but 30 windows allow the traveler to see the magnificent view of sheer cliffs and never-ending drops. Keep your eye on the road however, as this passage has been nicknamed as “The Road That Does Not Tolerate Any Mistakes”.
1. North Yungas Road, Bolivia
Also known as “The Death Road”, the 65 km North Yungas Road has gained world wide attention because of it’s single lane width, sheer drops without guardrails, frequent fog and rain, muddy roads, and its historical annual death rate between 200 and 300 fatalities a year. Today a newer, safer, road bypasses “The Road of Death”, but tourists looking for a life and death experience come here to travel on this morbid gem.
So the next time you are complaining about rush hour traffic, take a minute to be thankful that you don’t have to drive on the highways on this list!
