You’re on TheTravel.com because you love to travel. You love to see the world and experience all the culture, cuisine, art, people, and everything else that the world has to offer. While you’re traveling, you’re bound to get into a taxi or a bus, and head to the next city or town to explore. This may sound okay, until you come across a dangerous road that gives even the bravest of people goosebumps!
As you’ll see on our list, there are roads out there that should really not be roads. They should be banned. They should be locked up and the keys should be thrown far away. Why? Simply put – because they are dangerous.
On our list, you’ll see roads with potholes, roads that are barely wide enough for one car to fit passes along high mountain cliffs with no barricades, and roads that are infamous for causing accidents. The most bizarre part is the fact that although these roads are well-known for being dangerous, they are still being regularly used by locals.
If you find yourself in any of the following countries, make sure that you avoid these roads by all means – unless, of course, you can stomach it all.
23 Karakoram Highway: From Pakistan to China
We’re starting our list off with a road that some consider being the 8th Wonder of The World. This highway in Asia is 15,000 feet above sea level and was opened to the public in 1986. The most noticeable aspect is the fact that it cuts right through one of the most mountainous regions in the world and if you’re driving along it, you may encounter herds of animals, snow, flooding, rock falls, avalanches, and sometimes even terrible storms.
22 Zoji Pass: India
India is certainly one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Many tourists make their way to the country annually to appreciate all the food, music, colorful clothing, cultures, and lots more. If you’re planning a trip there soon, you better make sure that you avoid the Zoji Pass route by all means.
You’ve probably driven along passes before on mountainous areas but this one is particularly dangerous because not only is it 11,000 feet at its peak, the road is also entirely a dirt road, there are no traffic signs, and landslides are a common issue.
21 BR-116: Brazil
You may be a little surprised to see a road from Brazil here. We know that Brazil is certainly a culturally-rich country with some of the best beaches in the world. You may have even planned a getaway there soon with your loved ones, so – How does a dangerous road fit into all of this?
The BR-116 is one of the most dangerous roads in Brazil. It is the 2nd longest road in the country and the main reason why it sees a lot of fatalities and has been nicknamed “The Highway of Death” is because of poor maintenance.
20 Skippers Canyon Road: New Zealand
Only drivers with permits can travel along the Skippers Canyon Road in New Zealand. Yep, you need an actual permit, everytime you pass it. That just tells you how dangerous the conditions are. Just like the many risky roads on this list, this one’s main issue is the fact that it’s quite narrow and along a mountain path. This means that there is really no room for human error, otherwise, you’ll fall off the edges. Not trying to scare you – just stating facts.
19 Barton Highway: Australia
This Australian highway makes its way onto number 21 on our list and is the first road so far that really looks harmless. Just look at for a sec – What could be wrong about this seemingly “okay” road? Well, looks can be deceiving. The Barton Highway has seen regular fatalities in Australia. Those fatalities were caused by collisions on the road.
List25 highlights that “commonly recognized as the worst highway in Australia, Barton doesn’t have a very good reputation, especially getting people safely to their destinations.”
18 Pan American Highway: From Alaska to Chile
Those who’ve driven along the Pan American Highway before and encountered no issues may be a little confused as to how it managed to make its way onto our list. Well, sure, the highway is not necessarily more dangerous than your average highway, however, there are sections of it that can certainly scare any brave soul. For instance, there’s the Mexico to Central America route, as well as the Panamanian sections where you can encounter criminals and rebels down the road.
17 North Yungas Road: Bolivia
This 40-mile road is nicknamed the “Road of Death” and one look at some of the images, you’ll completely understand why. It’s a single-lane road, with no traffic signs along the way. It also has 200 hairpin bends along the way – just to make life a little more exciting, of course. And what happens if you lose control of your car? Well, you’ll drop 3,000 feet into the Amazon rainforest! What’s bizarre here is that some cyclists challenge themselves by taking on the road. Needless to say, some of them don’t make it to the other side.
16 Himalayan Road Network
Anytime there’s a road that regular has crashed cars, trucks, and buses along it, you know that it’s dangerous. Besides the fact that it was poorly constructed, the main problem of this road seems to be due to poor maintenance. There are no side barricades, which means one wrong move and your car plummets down the mountain. It is also quite slippery and there are regular rock falls. In other words, if you find yourself here – Good luck because you’ll need it.
15 Cotopaxi Volcano Road: Ecuador
This is one of the roads that branch off from the Pan American Highway that we mentioned a little earlier on our list and of course, it’s also quite dangerous. The Cotopaxi Volcano Road (no, there are no active volcanos along the road – thank goodness) has two main problems – it has large potholes that make it both dangerous and tricky to maneuver, and the surface can also be quite slippery, especially during the rainy seasons. Add to that the fact that there are numerous sharp bends and you have a recipe for a road that only the brave can stomach.
14 Sichuan-Tibet Highway: China
Just one look at this Highway and you’ll understand exactly how it’s only for the brave travelers out there. This particular highway in China helps to connect the Sichuan and Tibet regions. The highway was built in the 1950s and travelers can often see Buddhists along the road. Don’t think that it’s a peaceful experience driving this route though. Wander Wisdom explains that it’s “a treacherous, switchback-laden highway that winds among towering peaks, some of which over 6,000 meters in elevation, often causing vomit-spewing altitude sickness in travelers.”
13 Fairy Meadows Road: Pakistan
When a road is only opened during certain periods of the year, you know that’s dangerous. The Fairy Meadows Road in Pakistan gets opened by officials during the summer months. It was built hundreds of years ago by villagers in the area who wanted a road that they could use to travel on and unfortunately, it hasn’t seen any repair work done on it ever since. It is gravel and narrow road along the mountain. One wrong move will send your car down hundreds of feet below.
12 Taroko Gorge Road: Taiwan
Any road that’s built along a mountain can make a lot of people rather uncomfortable, this particular road is no different. So, the Taroko Gorge Road has one great thing – compared to many of the mountain roads and highways on this list, it has side barricades! Yay! Unfortunately, though, that’s about the only thing that’s great about it because it still has the hairpin bends, the narrow paths, and the sharp turns that has seen many people lose control of their vehicles here.
11 A726: Scotland, UK
One look at this road and you’ll be convinced that it’s made its way onto our list by mistake. How on earth can this picturesque road, that seems to be properly maintained be a dangerous road? Well, that’s a very good question that officials are trying to figure out. The road commonly sees head-on collisions, making it one of the most accident-prone in Europe. Perhaps the fact that it’s so picturesque is the problem. Maybe people get a little excited when they see the stretch of beauty and that causes them to take their eyes off the road.
10 Atlantic Road: Averoey, Norway
This narrow bridge road makes its way onto number 11 on our list and trusts us when we say – unless you’re really brave, this is one road definitely to avoid if you’re planning to make your way to Norway soon. This Insider highlights that “a bridge on Norway’s Atlantic Road is so steep and curvy that from some angles it seems to simply end. On a stormy day, gusts of wind and huge waves crash over the barricades and onto unsuspecting cars winding over the narrow bridge.”
9 James Dalton Highway: Alaska
At number 10 on our list, we have the James Dalton Highway in Alaska which is around 414 miles long. This particular highway sees mostly truckers using it and three-fourths of it is unpaved. If you thought we’re being a little dramatic about it, consider the fact that this road even made its way onto the reality TV show, Ice Road Truckers, and the episode dramatized how dangerous it truly is for truckers to be driving on these snowy roads. The worst part of all is the fact that there are no medical facilities on this road so if you get injured and need medical attention, you’re on your own.
8 Pasubio: Italy
We have yet another road on our list that can go down as a huge surprise to many. Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world. It has amazing cuisine, culture, history, people, and never disappoints when it comes to fashion. Let’s also add the fact that it’s a rich country with lots to offer tourists. Those tourists though should definitely avoid the Pasubio. It is located in Northern Italy and parts of it are even restricted, because of how dangerous it is.
7 Patiopoulo-Perdikaki Road: Greece
Greece has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. We’ve all seen the picture-perfect islands and sunsets that give us major FOMO. Let’s add the fact that it has some of the most delicious cuisines and you’ve got yourself a spot that naturally attracts a lot of visitors. One road visitors need to avoid though, is Patiopoulo-Perdikaki. It is very narrow, has no side barricades, and because it has many sharp turns, it's a nightmare to drivers when it rains.
6 Highway 1: Florida
For all our US readers, having Highway 1 on this list is hardly a surprise. For our other readers out there, this can be a little confusing. Sure, the highway stretches over the water but there are barricades and each traffic direction has its own designated lane so what’s the problem here? Well, This Insider explains that “Florida’s Highway 1 was recently ranked the most dangerous road in the US for having the highest fatal crash rate. In fact, 1,079 people have died on the road in the last 10 years.”
5 Siberian Road to Yakutsk: Russia
So, after seeing Siberia and Russia, you know that this road has to be one of the coldest in the world. What’s most interesting is the fact that locals have even nicknamed it “Road of Bones”. The fact that it’s unpaved and 760 miles long makes it hard for any car to drive through it, particularly when there has been lots of rain in the region. It is advised to travel the road during winter because the ground is generally frozen, however, if you find yourself there in July and August (the rainy season), you better have a 4X4 truck to get out of that muddy mess.
4 Commonwealth Avenue: Philippines
The Philippines is yet another country on our list that may be on many people’s bucket lists. This is because it is known to be rich in culture and can certainly give tourists an adventure of a lifetime. Whatever you do though, avoid the Commonwealth Avenue by all means…well, unless you’re feeling brave, of course. Interesting Engineering explains that “Commonwealth Avenue in the Philippines in Quezon City has seen many pedestrians, cyclists and vehicular collisions and deaths over the years.”