Update: Please also check the second part of Most Dangerous Roads in the World
It’s hard to imagine how many dangerous roads there are. When working on this post I studied about 10 resources to find out that there are over 50 dangerous and scary roads and these are just the most famous we’ve heard of. There are different factors of danger so it’s really hard to say what roads are the most dangerous of all the dangerous roads in the world.
In our post today you will see the roads that are considered the most dangerous and that caught my attention because of the fact that the roads shouldn’t naturally be in those places. What I mean here is that it looks like the Nature has created the borders that shouldn’t be crossed using huge rocks, steep slopes, stones, volcanoes but the human beings were so stubborn that they finally erected the roads and trails, but what we still can’t do is ensure the safety. There’s always the risk that something will happen but the risk has never stopped the human yet.
North Yungas Road also known as the Road of Death is considered the most dangerous road in the world. It stretches for about 40 mountain-hugging miles and is only 10 feet wide.
The highway is made right on the mountains, it’s high, pretty narrow, cloudy and definitely dangerous. The overall length of the highway is 2,028 kilometers.
The Pan American Highway is a network of roads stretching for nearly about 30,000 miles from Alaska to the lower reaches of South America. This is the world’s longest “motorable road,” according to Guinness World Records. Some roads are widely knows by narrow curves, steep cliffs, flash floods and landslides.
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Compared to the other roads from our post, the coastal roads of Croatia may look childish, but that’s not the case. The coastal roads and the fast-driving Croats that crowd them probably account for more deaths and injuries than accidents associated with unexploded ordinance ever do.
The name of the tunnel translates from Chinese as the “Road that does not tolerate any mistakes”. First the tunnel was created by the villagers from the remote area of the Taihang Mountains to get a way out to the outside world. Presently the road is 15 feet high and 12 feet wide which is pretty scary for the drivers. The tunnel has 30 windows to enjoy the scenes.
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Magnificent but dangerous road on the island of Luzon. Apart from the unpaved parts of the roads, landslides and big stones you can be stopped by the clouds.
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Grimsel Pass which is 2165 m. high is a Swiss high mountain pass between the valley of the Rhone River and the Haslital valley. Taking into account you are on a mountain, you can’t expect much safety.
Taroko Mountain is a mountain in Taiwan with an elevation of 3,282 meters and it speaks for itself. Check the photos to get an idea of the little stones that can cross the road.
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Karakoram Highway is the highest paved road on the planet connecting Pakistan with China. It’s a popular tourist route, with motorists stopping to view K2 and other stratosphere-scraping peaks from the pavement.
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The Canyon road is carved from schist rock and travels through some of the most spectacular scenery in the New Zealand. That’s a narrow and unsealed road about 22 km long. Rental car companies warn clients not to take their cars on this dramatic and at times terrifying road which branches off the Coronet Peak ski field road.
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I just hope that each driver is always considerate of what could be around the next corner! This is so scary but, man!, the views look like they are worth it. I would take a freakin' bicycle if I had to go on any of these roads!
Heyy check out the one between Les Angles until just north west of perpignan in france. that was scaryy. the road was one laned, but not one way, cliff face either side, with road crumbing away at some points. my dad decided to go down it at about 20 miles an hour. still too fast, and my mum was shrieking in the front seat. super bendy road too. Id say worse than the ones above :S
I ride the Panamerican highway all the time here in Argentina. I have driven extensively in Croatia, Mexico and Italy, but the road from La Paz to Coroico -#1- was absolutely insane. My friend Guidotti and I were fighting each other to drive the old 4 Suzuki 4x4 rental, back in 1992. It took us over an hour to realise that the upwards going trucks have priority and always drive closest to the mountain regardless of the valley being on your left or right! Missing in the pictures: the dozens of white crosses, in memory of just "average"· drivers who dared.
Scariest moment of my life had to be visiting my uncle in Croatia - he decided to take us on a road trip to the National Park - a 4 hour drive each way. Coupled with the fact that we spent most of the day traipsing around the park and looking at all the waterfalls, my uncle was exhausted by the time we started on the 4 hour drive home - I could visibly see his eyes drooping in the rear vision mirror as he hurtled along the Croatian coastal roads at speeds of over 100km/hr, but I was a terrified timid 12 year old, and didn't speak nearly enough Croatian to try and give him some advice. Instead I asked to stop every 20 minutes or so for a restroom break in the hope that he would splash some water on his face or wake up a little. It was traumatic. I still get chills from that memory these days when I visit Croatia and take to the roads.
2 Mahniti Tapir: Well, it's not like that any more. We still drive fast, but not as fast as we used to. I usually drive around 160km/h on the highway, and around 100km/h on the open road. This days there are too much police controls, so you can't put a pedal to the metal. :)
2 dangermouse: To which national park did you go to? The roads are fine, but your uncle war irresponsible.
What about German autobahns?
As for Croatian coast roads: They are beautiful, but old, ruined and being replaced by highways.
Sorry but the Grimsel Pass road in Switzerland is a ridicolous entry. There are many pass roads in Switzerland going high through the alps, but Grimsel is one of the easiest ones. The road is wide and is well protected. It has very nice view on the top, towards the dam lake, and there is a very small road (access every hour) that lets you drive a bit further (that part is more dangerous). I have not driven any of the other roads you mention, but Grimsel pass road would not even make it into the top 10 most dangerous roads in Switzerland.
WHEN DO WE GO?!?
ACTUALLY SOME OF THE ROADS IN UTAH AND COLORADO COULD RANK HERE FOR BEAUTY ... AND FEAR FACTOR.
I still think the road to Hana should make this list. It's really scary, I've driven on it. Not such a fun time lol. One part is considered so dangerous that they close it off and it's labeled "restricted" but many people ride on it still...
There is a fail in descripition photo number four and five of Halsema Highway, Philippines, the local correct is Santa Catarina - Brazil, Serra do Rio do Rastro.
I'd drive them all,drunk,in a bugatti veyron,blindfolded :)