Only insane, pay-for-it and suicidal people should ever travel these roads.
Every year people die in traffic accidents and it reaches almost 1.3 million. The WHO announced that 2011 to 2021 is the “decade of action for road safety”.
Accidental death can only be prevented if they drive better. There are roads that would really test the bravery and skill of the driver, be it steep mountain slopes, war zone roads or bends.
Here is our list of the 10 most dangerous roads in the world.
10. The Italian Stelvio Pass
There are several roads that look more dangerous than they are. But that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to admire a picturesque view of the Alpine mountains instead of focusing on the road.
This route resembles a child’s scribble and has more hairpins than Helena Bonham Carter. So don’t be fooled crossing the Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps.
A mountain drop that is so steep that looking down is a no-no. This route climbs for about 2 kilometers and only a low concrete barrier stands between that steep mountain drop, the reason why looking down is a big no-no.
9. Karakoram Highway in Pakistan
This highway connects Pakistan and China at the 4,693-meter Khunjerab Pass. The road in Pakistan is unpaved and what’s worse, this highway is prone to floods and landslides. However, it remains a tourist attraction as they pass some stunning gorges along the Old Silk Road. The government that built it called it the “Friendship Highway” despite the deaths of 82 Chinese and 810 Pakistani workers during its construction, mostly caused by landslides.
8. Los Caracoles Pass in Chile
Steep, dizzying curves that wind through the Andes between Uspallata in Argentina and Los Andes in Chile. A secluded area raised about 3,176 meters high and what is more terrifying are those series of articulated trucks that pass this route and this time it is without any safety barrier. However, this road is also used by tourist buses when it is not blocked by snow in winter. Traveling by air is another easy option or by Transanda railway if it opens its services.
7. Widow in the United Kingdom
From 2006 to 2008, there were 34 serious or fatal accidents. Because of this, in 2010 the Road Safety Foundation named this picturesque country road near England’s Peak District as the most dangerous route in the United Kingdom. Many of these victims include motorcyclists who enjoy the bucolic scenes and vast open space. However, the road’s treacherous bends are lined with stone walls and steep embankments that make it more dangerous than it appears, and locals have nicknamed it the “widow”.
6. Coastal road in Croatia
This country has an average of 11,650 traffic accidents per year, and there is no doubt that Croatia is included in the Safe International Road Travel Association’s list of the most dangerous roads in the world.
High speed and traffic jams are problems encountered along the Adriatic coastal route, which is known for its sharp cliff-hanging bends as well as the absence of safety barriers.
5. Guoliang Tunnel in the Taihang Mountains in China
This Guoliang Tunnel located in Henan Province, China is terrifying for drivers today. However, in 1972, Chinese drivers who hacked this 1.2 kilometer long tunnel along the edges of the Taihang Mountains proved it to be deadly. Some died during construction, and this tunnel was built primarily with hand tools. It is 4 meters wide and 5 meters high; some areas have an open edge over a rocky cliff, giving it the nickname “the no-fault road”, which is obviously appropriate.
4. India’s Zoji La Pass
Between Ladakh and Kashmir lies the Zoji La Pass, a mountain route that looks like a dusty road through the western Himalayas. However, this road keeps the Ladakhi community connected to the outside world, even though it is often blocked by heavy snow during winter. This 9-kilometer road zigzags at 3,528 meters from the mountain without any barrier on the edge and compact rock on the other side. Definitely not for someone with vertigo or a fear of falling.
3. Iraq’s highway of death
American planes bombed Iraqi trucks and tanks along Highway 80 coming from Kuwait City towards Basra. This happened in February 1991 during the First Gulf War as the vehicles were retreating destroying 2,700 vehicles, marking this road in history as the “Highway of Death”. The death toll has never been precisely confirmed and ranges from approximately 300 to 10,000. The war ended days after photos of charred bodies and burned vehicles were televised around the world.
2. Bolivian road of death
The Inter-American Development Bank previously named it the most dangerous road in the world. The road traveling from La Paz to Coroico descends steeply over 65 kilometers to make even actor Charlie Sheen change his mind.
For adventurous cyclists, this road becomes their playground where it is actually dangerous. Overcrowded buses and local trucks maneuver this road where they sometimes derail and kill 200 to 300 people a year.
1. Journey from Jalalabad to Kabul, Afghanistan
Several roads are marked as “most dangerous”. However, traveling on this 65-kilometer highway from Jalalabad to Kabul justifies the true meaning of its passage through Taliban territory.
The dangerous side this time has nothing to do with rebellion. There are two factors that make this route dangerous: it is a narrow, winding road that climbs up to 600 meters over the Kabul Gorge highway, and Afghan drivers recklessly overtaking fully loaded trucks.
It’s important to stay safe while driving or traveling. Check out these 10 most common ways to avoid car accidents.
