Are you ready for a road trip? How often do you get in the car, buckle your seatbelt and set off on your daily commute, to run an errand or leave for vacation without thinking twice about the road ahead? Chances are most of your drives fall on the safe side only requiring you to dodge a pothole here or there. But what if you had to travel more dangerous roads or navigate risky terrain?
Many countries like the United States and Canada have excellent roads and driving standards where most drivers only have to worry about weather conditions and other people on the road. This isn’t always the case, however, as some corners of the world are faced with extremely dangerous roads filled with crater-sized potholes and steep drop offs in addition to mudslides, blizzards and flash flooding that leave drivers gripping the steering wheel and holding on for dear life!
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Out of the millions of roads in the world, which are the most dangerous and where are they located? Join us on an epic trip around the globe as we take a look at the 10 most dangerous roads in the world and uncover what makes them so scary! Are you ready for the ride of your life? Let’s hit the road!
1
Patiopoulo-Perdikaki Road (Greece)
Definitely not for the faint of heart, the only entrant on the list from Greece is also the country’s most dangerous – the Patiopoulo-Perdikaki Road, which we’ll call PPR for short. Located in the northeastern region of the village of Aetolia-Acarnania, the mountainous PPR begins at 2,300 feet above sea level and climbs to an altitude of over 3,800 feet in an extremely short 14.6 miles. With no markings to distinguish the narrow lanes, it’s no wonder why it takes nerves of steel for anyone to drive this stretch of road.
Despite offering beautiful views of the countryside, it’s nearly impossible to take in the scenery as drivers must pay close attention as they share the road with pedestrians, livestock, buses and other vehicles. To make matters worse, upkeep on the PPR is nonexistent but potholes prove to be the least of anyone’s concern. With no guardrails to protect drivers from the road’s steep drops or lights to mark the way at night, the driving conditions are nerve-wracking, to say the least, as the road offers little grip rain or shine.
2
Vitim River Bridge (Russia)
Staying in Russia for the next dangerous road on our list, The Vitim River Bridge is much, much shorter than the nearly 7,000-mile-long Trans-Siberian Highway at only 1,870 feet. Built in the 1980s and once used by trains to cross the vast Vitim River, the bridge was opened to automobile traffic to give the small village of Kuanda easier access to neighboring towns. At only six feet wide, there are far safer routes for villagers to use today as surviving the bridge crossing has become quite the feat.
[post_ads]Constructed of wood planks and typically covered in ice due to Siberia’s harsh winters, the Vitim River Bridge is a slippery test of bravery. Lacking guardrails and barely wide enough for one car, there is no room for error as one wrong move can leave travelers on a 50-foot free fall into the murky waters of the river below. The stakes are high on this short stretch of road, which is exactly why 34 travelers who successfully navigated it are proud to share their stories of crossing one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.
3
Tianmen Mountain Road (China)
Looking like a dragon climbing the mountain from above, the Tianmen Winding Mountain Road is the first of two of the most dangerous roads in China and takes up nearly seven miles of the breathtaking Tianmen Mountain National Park. Construction on the road began in 1998 and was completed eight years later with 99 turns, 999 stairs and only a few feet between the road’s narrow edge and a deadly plunge down the dense mountainside.
Climbing 3,600 feet in a matter of miles, a section of the winding road also features a natural hole that takes drivers straight through the mountain itself. Though guardrails are strategically placed for added protection in all weather and road conditions, drivers are encouraged to keep their eyes on the road and make the climb slow in order to reach the beautiful natural rock arch known as “Heaven’s Gate” at the top. Those looking for a safer route to the top can hop on a cable car in the city where they can sit back, relax and enjoy the view.
4
North Yungas Road (Bolivia)
Officially named La Carretera de los Yungas, Bolivia’s North Yungas Road has long earned the nicknames of “Death Road” and “The Road of Fate” thanks to its tragic and devastating history. Stretching across 35 miles of dense jungle from La Paz to Corioco through massive hills and winding turns, the North Yungas Road was once known as the “World’s Most Dangerous Road” as it caught many unprepared travelers off guard and claimed as many as 300 lives per year.
While the rest of Bolivia drives on the right side of the road, the one-lane North Yungas Road requires drivers to hug the left corner in order to get better views of the daunting edges of the cliffs. The fall and winter seasons are the worst for traveling the 35-mile stretch as rain and fog create limited visibility with no guardrails to protect cars from veering over the edge. To make the situation worse, the jungle’s frequent downpours cause mudslides and falling rock that make an already treacherous road even more dangerous.
5
BR-116 (Brazil)
Brazil’s own version of the “Highway to Hell” and the “Highway of Death,” the BR-116 federal highway is over 2,700 miles long and runs the coast of the country from Fortaleza to Jaguarao. Considered one of Brazil’s most important and longest highways, the BR-116 is like many other roads on our list and has its fair share of winding sections and anxiety-inducing obstacles. So what makes it one of the most dangerous highways in the country?
The BR-116 is one of the busiest highways and major thoroughfares for truckers traveling through Brazil. Usually tired and ready to make their next stop to get home, truckers typically speed on the winding road as the turf drastically changes from paved to unpaved sections with steep cliffs, no guardrails and blind corners. As a result, semi-trucks have caused some of the most devastating head-on collisions all because of fatigue, careless driving and poor road conditions.
6
Federal Highway 1 (Mexico)
If you’ve ever traveled to sunny California, then you surely know about the congested, chaotic and dangerous Interstate 5. However, things get even scarier when Interstate 5 makes the jump into Tijuana, Mexico and becomes Federal Highway 1. Officially known as the Transpeninsular Highway and running over 1,000 miles from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas, the mostly two-lane road is a breeding ground for accidents as twists and turns through mountains offer stunning views of the coast while travelers narrowly escape potholes and other obstacles.
[post_ads]With absolutely no road signs, shoulders and even some areas missing lane markers, the Federal Highway 1 is a perfect recipe for disaster. Drivers speeding along the open road often get distracted as they round blind curves only to see another car approaching head-on. The mountainous sections offer little relief as the road narrows leaving truck drivers and larger vehicles to take up more room than usual. Just seeing the hundreds of guardrails split open as a result of accidents is enough to make anyone slow down and take caution.
7
Atlantic Road (Norway)
Considered one of the most scenic drives in the entire world (and rightly so!), Norway’s Atlantic Ocean Road takes travelers on a beautiful and dangerous drive along the sea. Only 5.2 miles long and first built as a proposed railroad line for the region, the Atlantic Road stretches across several islands connected by eight bridges. During construction in the 1980s, workers were given their first taste of danger as the project was stopped several times because of storms that caused waves to come crashing over the road.
A huge tourist attraction in the summer months, Norwegians know to avoid the scenic road in the winter season as a result of harsh conditions, blizzards and snowstorms that make it dangerously impassable. With high winds also common in the region especially along the coast, the guardrails provide little protection to drivers attempting to travel the road or cross one of its many bridges making it one of the most dangerous slip and slides in the world.
8
Guoliang Tunnel Road (China)
Yet another one of China’s famous (and dangerous) roads is the Guoliang Tunnel Road that leaves drivers twisting and turning through the gorgeous Taihang Mountains. Opened in 1977 after five years of construction, the road was intended to make life easier on Guoliang villagers whose only access to the village was by a set of steep and narrow stairs embedded into the mountainside. With the stairs treacherous and slippery year-round, 13 villagers came together and built what is known today as one of the most famous tunnels in the world.
Literally putting Guoliang on the map and transforming it into a scenic route and tourist attraction, many parts of the road are safe as they offer slower speed limits and walls that protect cars from veering off the mountain. However, there are many treacherous areas as well that leave drivers anxiously gripping their steering wheels as visibility is poor around the sharp corners and the carved mountain windows offer little help with blinding sun during the day and vast darkness at night.
9
James Dalton Highway (United States)
Heading back to the United States for our second and final American road takes us to the great Alaskan frontier where the James Dalton Highway stretches across 414 miles of wilderness. First built in 1974 as a supply route for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, the road is still used today by nearly 400 trucks each year who always have the right of way as they dodge potholes the size of moon craters along one of the world’s most desolate roads.
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Others who dare to travel the Dalton Highway are nothing short of adventurers who have deemed it the “ultimate road trip” for survivalists since there are only three towns along the route without any gas stations, restaurants or hotels in between. Narrow lanes and potholes are the least of anyone’s concern especially in winter when blizzards and subzero temperatures make the highway a sheet of ice with no sign of help in sight. With names like the “Oh S*** Corner,” it’s no wonder why this Alaskan highway is one of the most dangerous in the entire world.
10
Stelvio Pass (Italy)
Named as one of the top 25 highest mountain roads in Europe and one of the most scenic drives in the world, the only Italian road to make our list is the Stelvio Pass in the eastern Alps. Rising over 9,000 feet above sea level, the pass was completed in 1825 and is one of the oldest roads on our list and yet another engineering marvel that begs to be driven with its serpentine design and nearly 50 hairpin turns that get even narrower the higher the climb.
As the road narrows and climbs, the elevation and fear factor increase dramatically with heart-racing 180 degree corners and small concrete barriers that offer little protection from a deadly fall down the Alps. Local drivers have come to love the adrenaline rush of their “private” racetrack and are often described as “homicidal” as they whip around turns at high speeds and narrowly escape harm while terrifying unsuspecting newbies simply trying to make it to the top in one piece.
Source: My First Class Life
