“Fools and roads” - this problem concerns not only our country. The problem of dangerous and mediocre roads exists in many countries around the world. We could not even imagine the existence of some of them.
We present to you the “Top 10” most dangerous roads of our time.
10. Gravelly Hill (England).
Spaghetti Junction is the most confusing road junction in the UK. There is only one good thing - the quality of this road is excellent. Gravelly Hill Interchange was developed in 1965. 560 reinforced concrete columns support the six levels of this interchange. At this intersection you will have 18 options to continue driving. Birmingham's complex weave baffles even the most experienced drivers.
09. Stelvio Pass (Italy).
This road runs in northern Italy. Construction began in 1820 and lasted more than five years. The road is high mountain, the highest point of which has an altitude of 2757 km, and the road itself, 44 km long, is one of the most dangerous in the world. There is a ban on trailers in this area. The maximum slope of the road is 14%. The world's popular TV show “Top Gear” considered that this road is the best place for aesthetic driving pleasure.
08. Atlantic Road (Norway).
The ingenious design of this road gives this place a beautiful appearance, but in fact saturates it with dangerous descents and turns. This road is a favorite tourist attraction. It connects the two towns of Kristiansund and Molde. During a storm, waves break right onto the road, intimidating naive tourists. Atlantic Road- one of the most picturesque highways in the world, connecting 12 bridges along its route. The length of the road is 36 km.
07. Fairy meadows (Pakistan).
This gravel road is exactly the opposite of its name. It lies in the northwestern Himalayas. The name of this road, once upon a time, was invented by German climbers. The road is located at an altitude of 3 km above sea level. The road does not contain any fences, only the mountains and expanses of Pakistan. Residents of this country manage to travel along this route in buses and trucks. If you travel the world and love extreme adventures, this route is for you.
06. Zoji Pass (India).
This site is located at an altitude of 3529 meters and is part of the Himalayan range. Indian Mountain road It is constantly exposed to raging winds and heavy snowfalls, so in winter this road is impassable and remains closed. This pass is vital and connects populated areas such as Kashmir and Ladakh. They were subject to heavy fighting in 1948 between Pakistan and India, and constantly changed hands.
05. Sichuan-Tibet (China).
The 2,411 km long highway is located between Tibet and Chengdu. Fourteen mountains carry this road, surrounded by dozens of Tibetan rivers and wild forests. The highest point of these mountains is 6095 m. The number of car accidents that occurred here exceeds all international standards established by the World Health Organization! This highway is considered one of the most dangerous not only in China, but throughout the world.
04. Siberian road (Russia).
The road runs all the way to Yakutsk (M56 highway), and there is simply no other official route to this city. The length of the highway is 1236 km. Passenger cars have no place here. Even tractors and trucks get stuck in the washed-out road mud. The condition of the highway is catastrophic, and will the situation be corrected in the near future? It’s hard to call this road “federal”. What's going on on this road in winter? The most adequate way to Yakutsk remains air transport.
03. Taroko Gorge (Taiwan).
The beautiful Teroko Gorge Tunnel Road is a favorite route among tourists, however, walking this path without a guide is very dangerous! The road runs through tunnels measuring 4 x 3 (height and width). A large amount of marble is mined in the Taroko Gorge, and the Taroko Road is a route for transporting this rock.
02. Halsema (Philippines).
Halsema also has the name "Mountain Trail". It is the highest highway in the Philippines (7.4 km above sea level). The highway got its name in honor of the American-born engineer Julius Hobzems. This man served as mayor of Baguio City in the 1920s and 30s. The construction of this road took about seven years and local residents were used as builders. During the rainy season, these places experience a large number of landslides, which pose a danger to all road users.
01. North Yungas (Bolivia).
The “Road of Death” has a length of almost 66 km and is located at an altitude of 4.5 km. In 1995, this road was named the most dangerous in the world. About 400 tourists a year died on this route. Memorial markers and signs have been installed at the sites where people died. In 2006, another path was created, however, North Yungas still remains a road of constant “adventures”.
Roads that attract and frighten at the same time!
Roads solve infrastructure problems, connect people and fascinate with their diversity. But there are also roads in the world that have acquired an ominous fame due to high level danger. We have collected the 15 most dangerous roads in the world that are best avoided.
1. Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia
The Trans-Siberian Railway is one of the longest roads in the world, along with the Trans Canada Highway and Australian Highway No. 1. Stretching from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg, this road crosses forests, mountains and deserts. In many places this road becomes dirt and is simply impassable in inclement weather.
2. Road over the Stelvio Pass, Italy
It may not be the most extreme road, but the 2.7 km winding road in the Italian Alps is always a thrill for drivers.
3. Pan-American Highway, Alaska - Argentina
The Pan-American Highway, which holds the title of the longest highway in the world, stretches from the snowy expanses of Alaska to the coast. South America at 30,000 km. On the road that passes through two continents there are jungles, mountains, glaciers and deserts and, of course, a lot of dangerous and difficult places.
4. A682 Road, England
At first glance, the A682 appears to be a fairly quiet road. But in the last couple of years, for unknown reasons, hundreds of people have died on it.
5. Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China
A road that records more than 7,500 deaths for every 100,000 drivers is clearly something to be feared. Due to constant rock falls and avalanches on this highway, drivers need to be especially careful.
6. Pathopoulo-Perdikaki road, Greece
The Patiopoulou-Perdikaki road in Greece is very narrow, full of potholes, has no guardrails on the sides and is very slippery, especially when it rains.
7. Luxor-Hurghada road, Egypt
While some roads are dangerous due to natural reasons, drivers whose car breaks down on the road between Luxor and Hurghada have something completely different to fear. After dark, drivers often turn off their car headlights due to frequent attacks by bandits in this area.
8. Road to Fairy Valley, Pakistan
Despite its name, the road has nothing to do with fairies. This is actually a very narrow and dangerous 10 km stretch of road that leads to the killer mountain of Nanga Parbat in Pakistan. Fairy Valley is located at the foot of a huge mountain.
9. Road through Captains Canyon, New Zealand
To drive along the narrow and winding road through Captains Canyon in New Zealand, you need a special driving permit. When permission is received, all that remains is to pray that the road is not too slippery and that no one is driving in the opposite direction.
10. Pasubio Road, Italy
Droga Pasubio in northern Italy is famous for its stunning views. However, traffic on this road can be a problem, so it is even periodically closed to trains. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop people from riding their bikes to the edge.
11. Road to Taroko Gorge, Taiwan
Known as one of the most dangerous roads in Taiwan, the Taroko Gorge Road is full of blind turns, sudden sharp changes in direction and narrow paths through rocks and mountains.
12. Road from Gulian, China
Although it is very hard to believe, the road in China was carved out of a mountainside by several residents from the city of Gulian. Before the road appeared, the village was cut off from the rest of civilization by cliffs.
13. Himalayan roads
This phrase has already become a household word in relation to any road leading to the Himalayas. All these roads are unpaved, narrow and slippery, and are also littered with broken down cars and overturned buses.
14. James Dalton Highway, Alaska
The James Dalton Highway in Alaska passes through an icy wasteland and is often bombarded with rocks.
15. Northern Yungas Road, Bolivia
North Yungas Road is often mentioned in reports of car accidents. Falling buses, trucks and cars when they try to overtake each other is a common occurrence here.
Ask motorists, for example, in Minsk about a dangerous roadway, and they will point to Bangalore Square. People talk horror stories about roads in the Smolensk and Bryansk regions.
But the most dangerous ones, as a rule, are in the mountains. I once had to drive along a mountain serpentine road in Romania, when there were steep slopes on one side and an abyss on the other.
We stopped for a smoke break and I looked down, and there was a dead sheep lying at the bottom of the gorge. Since then I have been afraid of mountain roads and try not to drive on them. Because of this, I did not go to the Valley of Flowers in India; they told me what roads I would have to take to get there.
If you look at the top most dangerous roads in the world, you can say that they are simple and safe.
Death Road in Bolivia, Yungas Province
It is in this province that one of the main “celebrities” of Bolivia is located. The 56-kilometer-long section is called “the road of death” by locals. When you go to look at the terrifying “sight,” think twice about whether it’s worth it, given that the highest point is 3.6 kilometers above sea level, the lowest point is 330 meters, the road width is 4 meters (it’s not easy to pass other cars).
Steep climbs, terrible condition of the surface (a mixture of clay and mud), lack of fencing are the reasons why dozens of cars break down here every year. Do not forget that buses regularly run along the “death road”, which increases the number of victims. Fogs and landslides as a result of heavy rains also worsen the situation.
Nepal, Karnali highway
Extreme lovers go here, only on motorcycles. Only locals decide to take big risks on this 250-kilometer highway; they travel in cars and buses at any time when the section is not closed to entry. They close the road when the surface is in worse condition, for example, after prolonged rainfall.
Karnali claims around 50 lives every year. Reasons: lack of fences, rockfalls, landslides.
Why not close the dangerous highway? The high number of casualties is not a convincing argument for the government to take such a step, given that Karnali connects dozens of settlements. There is no alternative except helicopters.
Ecuador, area near the Cotopaxi volcano
The official name of the road is Cotopaxi Volcan Road. Looking at the name, it’s easy to guess where the site leads. The route is 40 kilometers long, unlike the previous ones, it does not have large cliffs and does not “suffer” from frequent landslides. But it is on the list of the most dangerous, if only because it is located next to an active volcano. The last time he woke up after a long sleep of 140 years was in August 2015.
Adding fuel to the fire, flooding is a common occurrence in this region due to the steep elevations and terrain features.
Even minimal precipitation becomes a large-scale problem, a disaster that claims human lives.
Chilean Ruta Nacional 5
It is part of the famous Pan-American Highway. With a length of 3,364 kilometers, it does not at first seem dangerous, but first impressions are deceiving. When reaching the section between Iquique and Arica (city), drivers are faced with a straight 300 km 2-lane highway running along a desert landscape.
The appearance of absence of danger plays a cruel joke on motorists. Many people lose concentration, fall asleep and run off the road. Others are faced with another problem - a powerful side wind that can even overturn a truck.
New Zealand, area near Skippers Canyon
The 25-kilometer scenic road is located on a sheer cliff. During its 140 years of existence, it was never expanded. Tourists cannot go in rented SUVs, since car insurance is not valid in this area.
Built in the 19th century, the track was designed as a road for moving carts. It is not surprising that driving a car is not an easy task. When giving way to oncoming cars, sometimes drivers back up for 3 kilometers.
China, Guoliang Tunnel
Located in a picturesque area mountain range Taihangshan. The 1.2-kilometer-long tunnel is the result of the hard work of 13 local residents, many of whom sacrificed their lives for the sake of their “creation.” The 4 meter wide tunnel is partially visible. This helps drivers navigate the road during the day. Traffic is blocked at night.
Since the Guoliang tunnel is the only one that connects the village with other settlements. Residents who do not have transport move along it. On the other hand, walking is safer, given the number of motorists affected by rockfalls.
Alaska, Dalton Highway
The Dalton Highway was called dangerous even at the design stage. And there is a good reason for this - the 666-kilometer-long road passes through three settlements, the population does not exceed 25 people. If the vehicle breaks down, there will be no quick help here.
The highway was created for commercial transportation. Now it is used by workers of the oil pipeline, to which the road section leads. And these motorists are familiar with government warnings to take essentials with you when venturing onto the Dalton Highway.
Read on this page about the most popular music festivals in Russia -
We often complain about the quality of roads in Russia, but there are much wilder and more dangerous roads in the world. Did you know that 5 times more people die annually on the most dangerous road on the planet than from shark attacks? Want to know more?
No. 10. Karnali Highway, Nepal
The 250-kilometer Karnali Highway in Nepal claims the lives of 50 people every year. The road is a very narrow strip of land bordering a cliff. It's cramped here even on a motorcycle, not to mention cars. Most Passenger cars are prohibited on the highway.
A large number of deaths on the Karnali Highway are due to the lack of guardrails on the highway, landslides, and rockfalls. Despite the danger and the impressive number of victims, hundreds of cars drive here every day. The highway connects dozens of villages and is often the only way to reach some settlements.
No. 9. Skippers Canyon Road, New Zealand
UK driving group Driving Experience called Skippers Canyon Road "as scary as it is beautiful." Skippers Canyon Road is a very narrow road that regularly experiences rockfalls and is completely covered in snow in the winter.
This mountain road with a huge number of steep descents into the gorge is so dangerous that it requires maximum concentration, patience and even special permission to travel along it.
No. 8. Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China
Landslides and avalanches regularly occur on the Sichuan-Tibet highway. The length of the road is 2142 km. Here, for every 100 thousand people, 7,500 deaths are registered.
No. 7. Karakoram Highway, China and Pakistan
The Karakoram Highway is the highest asphalt road in the world. The route, built through mountain passes over 20 years and fully opened in 1986, was a gift to Pakistan from China.
This road has already taken 900 lives. And this is the number of workers who died who participated in the construction of the road. Someone simply fell into a cliff, someone was blown up while laying a road, someone died during landslides.
No. 6. Kabul-Jalalabad, Afghanistan
The Kabul-Jalalabad highway is 60 km long and consists of a continuous series of sharp turns and sharp drops. Terrible accidents happen here almost every day. But the reason lies not only in the road itself, but also in the fact that local drivers disregard traffic rules. The situation is aggravated by the fact that for several years now the highway has been under the control of representatives of the anti-government Taliban movement.
There have been virtually no records of deaths on the highway in recent years. But even the data that local authorities have at their disposal allows us to call this road the most dangerous in Afghanistan and one of the deadliest on the planet.
The famous Guoliang Tunnel, which is located in the Taihang Mountains, is a national landmark of China. The length of the tunnel is 1.2 km, it was built by 13 local residents over 5 years. Many of the builders died.
The road was opened on May 1, 1977. The tunnel has become a popular tourist attraction in China as it has many windows overlooking the valley. The Goliyan tunnel is especially dangerous for driving during the rainy seasons.
Accidents happen here every year.
The Troll Staircase or Troll Road is one of the most popular attractions in Norway.
The picturesque road that climbs the mountain slope with 11 sharp turns attracts tourists from all over the world.
The Norwegian government is well aware that this is one of the most dangerous roads, and therefore they are trying to widen this road, located on the side of a mountain.
Drivers in the Philippines know to stay away from Commonwealth Avenue. The road is 12 km long, has 18 lanes, and serious traffic jams and accidents often occur here.
Thousands of people die here from accidents every year.
The dangerous and winding Zoji La Pass road is located in Indian Kashmir. The road at the pass rises to a height of 3500 m and is more than 11 km long. The pass is often closed in winter; local authorities try to clear the pass of snow to organize traffic, but this is not always successful.
The road is very narrow, so traffic on it is one-way. Since it is impossible to pass each other, the cars let each other pass one by one. Such conditions lead to fatal accidents.
North Yungas Road literally lives up to its name "highway of death." For hundreds of people every year, a trip along Yungas Road becomes their last journey. About 300 people die every year from accidents on this highway. There are many memorials along the roadsides.
In 1995, the Inter-American Development Bank was choosing the most dangerous road in the world, and their choice fell on Northern Yungas. Lack of fencing, rain and fog, rockfalls in summer time- all this makes the highway deadly. This is the only road in Bolivia where drivers are required to drive on the left side in order to best review other drivers.
Driving on these roads is sure to give you an unforgettable adrenaline rush. So be sure to fasten your seat belt before you hit any of these crazy trails.
Zoji La, India
This 9 km road connecting Ladakh and Kashmir rises to an altitude of 3528 meters above sea level. Zoji La pass is the second highest on the Srinagar-Leh highway.
Transfagarasan Highway, Romania 
This mountain highway in the Carpathians connects the Romanian regions of Wallachia and Transylvania and passes through mountain range Fagaras. Highest point it reaches an altitude of 2034 meters and is the highest road in Romania.
Dalton Highway, Alaska, USA 
This ice trucking route consists of a lifeless 660-kilometer road with just three small villages along the way.
Khardung La, India 
Despite claims that this is the highest road in the world, in fact there are several other roads that are located even higher. However, 5,359 meters above sea level is also a lot.
Yungas Road, Bolivia 
Considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world, this road of death claims between 200 and 300 lives each year.
Atlantic Road, Norway 
This section of a two-lane highway in the governorate of Møre og Romsdal has a very original design. And the Storsesandet Bridge is the longest of the eight bridges along this 8.3-kilometer road.
Guliang Tunnel, China 
The road through the Tai Hang Mountains was built local residents. Until 1972, a path carved into the rock was the only link between the village of Gulyan and the outside world. It took five years to complete the 1,200-meter-long vehicle tunnel, which is about 5 meters high and 4 meters wide.
Passage du Gois, France 
This 2.7-kilometre route linking the island of Noirmoutier with the mainland is only accessible for a few hours twice a day, after low tide. The rest of the time it is flooded by the tide.
Tianmen Mountain Road, China 
An 11-kilometer road with 99 bends reaches the top of the mountain.
Oasis Dakhla, Egypt 
When traveling to the Dakhla oasis, the views are absolutely stunning.
Hana, Hawaii 
This 100-kilometer road connects Kahului to the town of Hana on the island of Maui. The narrow, winding highway spans 59 bridges, 46 of which have only one lane.
Kolyma highway, Russia 
The “Road on Bones”, along which you can get from Magadan to Yakutsk, was built by the hands of Gulag prisoners
Col de la Bonet, France 
This road on a pass 2,715 meters above sea level in the Maritime Alps is located near the Italian border.
Saint Gotthard, Switzerland 
This road on a pass 2,106 meters above sea level connects Uri and Ticino in Switzerland.
Mountain road in the Caucasus 
Narrow road from Sochi to Lake Ritsa in the Caucasus Mountains.
