See The 7 Most Dangerous Roads In The World And Where They Are Located (With Pictures)
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Before we get started, I am well aware that you have probably seen all the Fast and
the Furious movies
multiple times and are probably a super great driver. But even if
you’re essentially Dominic Toretto behind the wheel, you would have to
think long and hard before traveling down the next 12 roads that we are
going to talk about.
We’ve got places nicknamed “the highway of death,” “death road,”
and there is even one road whose name literally translates to “the road
that tolerates no mistakes.” We have scanned the globe to discover the
12 most dangerous roads you can travel. Along with being ridiculously
terrifying roads, you’ll also find that some of these would be
unforgettable for their beautiful sights. But whether it’s other
drivers, steep heights, awful weather conditions or, you know, the
Taliban, all of the roads on this list pose more than enough threats to
make your next drive out, your last one.
The benefit of taking a trip on Stelvio Pass is that you are in
Italy, where there is definitely no shortage of beautiful things around
you and sights to see in the cities (not to mention all the food!). But
if you want to make sure you can enjoy all of those things, then one of
the first steps is making sure you are, you know, alive. And the easiest
way to ensure that may be to avoid taking a trip on Stelvio Pass. The
15-mile long road contains 48 hairpin turns (count ’em, 15!) and at
areas requires drivers to pull off 180-degree corners. The road is also
going to test your fear of heights, as at one point it stretches upwards
of 9,000 feet. Want to know just how dangerous the road is? You
literally can only drive on it from June to September. This is to assure
that drivers are only on the road during optimal weather conditions.
6. Sichuan-Tibet Highway – China
As if we didn’t have enough dangerous roads from different
countries, we’re about to add China to our list as we cover the
Sichuan-Tibet highway. There are plenty of highways on here that are
physically terrifying, but the Sichuan-Tibet Highway has the numbers to
back it up. The highway is responsible for 7,500 deaths out of every
100,000 people. That’s definitely a lot of death occurring on this road
that is roughly 2,142km long. It is also not paved, meaning that during
some of the rainier seasons mud can lead to your cars getting stuck for
upwards of weeks. That’s a whole different type of traffic jam! It isn’t
just other drivers that make the highway a dangerous place to drive, as
it is also vulnerable to avalanches, rock slides and other hazardous
conditions that may play a significant impact on driving conditions. At
least the scenery may be worth it, as you will drive past 14 high
mountains, as well as travel through some of the most beautiful and
iconic rivers in China.
5. The Leh-Manali Highway – Northern India
Are you afraid of heights? If so we probably don’t have to spend a
long time convincing you as to why the Leh-Manali highway is considered
to be one of the most dangerous roads in the world. After all, it’s the
highest one on Earth! Stretching upwards at an astonishing height of
11,578 feet, you can imagine that is a long way down to think about your
poor driving choices if you make the wrong move. To make the road all
the more terrifying, you get the pleasure of driving on what is
essentially crumbling dirt that you can see fall off behind you as you
go. Regular drivers are not often found on this road (which connects
India and Tibet), but tourist buses have been known to travel on it –
which essentially means that as well as having an absolutely terrifying
road ahead of you, you also are a passenger in a bus full of people that
are probably losing their minds every 5 seconds.
4. Karnali Highway – Nepal
Does the above photo give you a sense of claustrophobia when you
consider how narrow those roads look, even just for scooters? Now
imagine a big car on the Karnali Highway which stretches out for 155
miles in Nepal and sees roughly 50 people die every single year. The
road is integral for people living in Surkhet who depend on the town of
Jumla for survival. When there was a monsoon back in 2010 that led to a
closure of the highway, several people in the town of Surkhet died as a
result of starvation before the road was opened again. When you learn
that 64% of the population in Surkhet live in poverty (including 60-75%
of the children being malnourished), you may further understand the
vital importance of this dangerous road. When an investigation was done
back in 2011 as to the safety of the road, it found that more than 85%
of it remained significantly unsafe.
3. Commonwealth Avenue – Philippines
While you can argue if this is as intimidating as the nickname
Highway of Death, which you’ll read about below, drivers in the
Philippines know well enough to try and stay the F away from
Commonwealth Avenue. The road runs for 7.5 miles but stretches up to 18
lanes wide, which can cause significant confusion and dangerous
accidents. On top of all of this is the fact that pedestrians are also
constantly walking on the road, creating yet another risk of fatal
injury. Over the course of a year, thousands of individuals die as a
result of accidents on the street. One of the primary reasons for the
poor driving conditions (along with the overcrowding) is the excess
amount of flooding that can occur during storm
seasons as a result of the poor draining system.
No, you aren’t taking a look at the craziest rollercoaster that the
world has ever seen. Instead, you’re staring at a photo of the Eshima
Ohashi Bridge which (thankfully) only stretches for 1 mile, but you
definitely are not going to argue with me when I tell you it is one of
the most dangerous roads in the world. The bridge has a gradient of 6.1%
on one side, and a gradient of 5.1% on the other, which understandably
makes it one of the steepest bridges in the entire world. You’ll be glad
to learn that at least it was built with a purpose, as the plan was to
make sure fishing boats would be able to pass through without impacting
traffic (how thoughtful – instead just the traffic accidents can!). The
bridge can be found in Japan and is used to help connect the cities of
Sakaiminato and Matsue.
2. Guoliang Tunnel Road – China
You’ll be glad to learn that at the very least the Guoliang Tunnel
is primarily used as a tourist destination now and one that people often
go to on foot. The road was miraculously created by 13 villagers who
lived in the Taigang Mountains and required a tunnel that connected them
to the world outside of the Guoliang village. The tunnel took roughly 5
years to create, with the project starting in 1972, and is 0.75 miles
long, as well as 16 feet tall and 13 feet wide. While driving absolutely
still happens on the road, it is not as common anymore, especially when
you learn that the name of the tunnel literally translates to “Road
that tolerates no mistakes.” This becomes even more apparent when it is
wet as the material on the road and surrounding area makes it incredibly
dangerous for drivers. The width of the road also ensures that only two
cars pass at a time. One look at the above photo (and you know, the
lack of guardrails or safety) and you can also understand why taking a
fall off this road would be the last thing you do in your life.
1. Trollstigen – Norway
Do you love feeling like a super big badass as you hug your car
around some sweet turns on a regular basis? Of course you do, buddy! But
just because you probably aren’t going to make it as a professional
race car driver, why not test your turning skills on one of the best
courses nature has to offer: The Trollstigen road which is located in
Rauma, Norway. The road also stands for “The Troll Ladder,” which you
have to admit is also a pretty cool nickname for a road! If we’re
getting down to the technical aspects of the road, the incline is
roughly 9%, which definitely means you may see curves tighter than a
Kardashian’s! You may also enjoy teasing your friend who drives a Smart
Car, but you wouldn’t be if you wanted to check out this road! It’s so
narrow that you literally cannot have a vehicle that is bigger than 40
feet long. The Norweigan Government is well aware that this is one of
the most dangerous roads on the list (and not just because they’re
reading this list) but because the road is literally situated on the
side of a mountain (Woo, Norweigan beauty!) there is only so much they
can do to widen the roads.
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