Megan Bryant is a passionate writer and traveler who has combined her two loves to help others fulfill their traveling dreams. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually curled up with her 3 Dachshunds and a good book or planning her next adventure—wherever that may be.
Throughout the world, there are some beautiful scenic roads that take you through diverse landscapes—roads that belong on a road trip bucket list. However, on the complete opposite end of the scale are roads so dangerous that dozens of people lose their lives every year—oddly enough, these roads also make their way onto people’s road trip bucket lists.
Driving while traveling can make the adventure even more exciting. But is risking your life worth some added excitement? If you’re thinking of hitting one of these ten dangerous roads, then you may want to think again.
Dalton Highway, Alaska
The Dalton Highway—or Dalton Pass—in Alaska spans 414 miles and is mostly used by truckers transporting oil from the Prudhoe Bay Oil Fields. What makes the Dalton Highway so dangerous is the fact that the road is completely exposed, meaning you’re likely to experience poor visibility, heavy winds, and the possible avalanche if you’re really unlucky.
With the road not being fully paved and rest stops or medical facilities being hundreds of miles away from one another, even experienced truckers have trouble traveling down the Dalton Highway—especially in winter.
Fairy Meadows Road, Pakistan
Despite its name, Fairy Meadows Road is one of the deadliest roads in Pakistan. And what makes it so deadly? Well, the entire road is made up of gravel, there are numerous narrow turns, the road is up at a very high altitude, and if all that wasn’t enough, there are no barriers stopping you from driving to your death.
Karakoram Highway, Pakistan to China
The Karakoram Highway connects China and Pakistan with 800 miles worth of road. Initially, the road got its deadly reputation when 1,000 workers died during its construction. But now, thanks to landslides, flooding, heavy snow, and avalanches, the road has kept its infamous reputation as being one of the deadliest in the world.
North Yungas Road, Bolivia
The North Yungas Road in Bolivia is another road that is narrow, at a high altitude, and lacking guardrails in certain areas, meaning falling to your death isn’t uncommon. Spanning 50 miles from Coroico to La Paz, the North Yungas Road sees hundreds of deaths every year, giving it the nicknames of “the most dangerous highway in the world” and the “road of death.”
Taroko Gorge Road, Taiwan
The Taroko Gorge Road in Taiwan is known for its extremely narrow, sharp turns and blind spots. But what makes it so dangerous is that the road runs through unstable terrain. Typhoons regularly dislodge soil and rock onto the road, and as the area is prone to seismic activity, life-threatening landslides are a possible hazard.
The Atlantic Road, Norway
The Atlantic Road in Norway does give you some extremely beautiful scenery—and some parts are completely safe—but the road’s deadliest part rises nearly 300 meters at an odd angle which creates a wind tunnel during winter. Combine the strong winds with waves crashing into the road, and you’ve got one of the deadliest stretches of highway in the world.
Sichuan, Tibet Highway
The Sichuan-Tibet highway in southwestern China climbs up 4,000 meters to give you incredible views of the countryside. However, regardless of its beauty, the Sichuan-Tibet highway does see its fair share of landslides, which in itself are dangerous, but previous landslides have damaged parts of the roads, now making them treacherous.
Skippers Canyon, New Zealand
Skippers Canyon’s first road was originally built in the 19th century to help people who were in search of gold reach the mountains. The hand-carved roads were never supposed to support cars, which is why the unpaved, narrow roads with sharp bends are so dangerous to drive downs. Many car insurance companies actually won’t cover accidents that take place in Skipper’s Canyon, so that kind of says it all.
Stelvio Pass, Italy
Just one look at a picture of the Stelvio Pass in Italy, and you can get an idea of why it’s made its way onto this list. The Stelvio Pass is one of the highest mountain roads in Europe, and with 48 switchback turns, the hazards on the road are endless.
Zojila Pass, India
The Zojila Pass is a barrier-free mountain pass that links the Kashmir Valley with the Ladakh region in India. The pass’ high elevation and the fact that it is prone to snowfall and landslides see it take the lives of dozens of people every year.
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