WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS ROADS – Part – 1

These roads which are listed below are some of the most dangerous roads in the world to drive on. Besides offering some of the enchanting and breathtaking view of the scenic beauty and varied terrains these highways can get you killed if you don’t take them seriously. Ironically, despite the well-known dangers of these paths, there are people who mostly depend on these roads. Because to them these are not just paths to travel from one place to another but are lifelines for daily transportation purposes. So here we are with some of the World’s Most Dangerous Roads.

 

Trans-Siberian Highway (Russian Federation):

It is one of the World’s longest road connecting the Russian Western city of Saint Petersburg to its Eastern most territory of Vladivostok. This road runs more than 11,000 Kms covering literally all of Russia’s majestic and mind-boggling landscapes. It takes more than a week of driving to cover this road. It consists of 7-federal highways and for about a stretch of 200Kms, it even goes into the neighbouring country of Kazakhstan.

The thing that makes this highway dangerous is the fact that it has the unpaved road as you travel from west to east. Moreover, passing from some of the remotest areas of the world doesn’t help it either to the drivers. If you are planning to go there you got to be prepared for a long highway journey thoroughly. Or else, this journey can turn out to be the worst nightmare for you.

 

Sichuan-Tibet Highway (People’s Republic of China):

Covering a distance of about 2,300 Kms, this road has one of the highest death rates in the world. About, 7,500 deaths per 1,00,000 drivers. Passing at a high elevation makes the drive here more difficult with dangerous terrains of Tibetan plateau. Due to rock slides, avalanches and poor weather drivers should certainly use caution here. Besides its dangers, this road offers you some unimaginable views of peaks and sharp turns.

 

The Stelvio Pass or Passo Dello Stelvio (Border areas of Italy touching Switzerland):

It is situated in Italy at an altitude of 9,045 feet (2.8 Kms approx.) and is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps. It is slightly below the Col de l’iseran which is 9088 feet, thus making it second highest in the Alps.

Things that make it a difficult place to drive are:

• 48-hairpin bends
• 60-180 degrees corner turns
• Steep inclines

Obviously, this road is not meant for daily commute use rather is used mainly by adventure seekers and bikers.

 

Ruta Nacional 5 (Chile):

It is a 3,364 Kms highway that passes through the vivid landscapes of Chile in the Atacama Desert. It starts from Northern Chile (Peruvian border areas) and goes deep into the heart of Chile. Although this highway is quite modern with good condition paved roads, still it is known for its notoriety for accidents. It is quite common to see the carcas of crashed vehicles throughout this route. The frequent fog that clutches this region can be a big hurdle in crossing this road. It often results in accidents and going off-track for drivers.

But, despite all these, this vast and almost no vegetation area offer innumerable opportunities for adventure seekers to film videos and click photos. People love to capture the vastness of its horizon into their camera’s to make it memorable souvenir of their lifetime.

 

Los Caracoles Pass or Paso De Los Libertadores (Chile-Argentina border passing)

This road passes through Andes mountain range and more than 40 border crossings between Argentina and Chile. It is over 3 Kms in elevation and also has a length of just over 3 Kms (almost divided equally between the two countries). Often sarcastically called “snails pass” due to the slow movement of traffic this is a dangerous road. The most chilling part is that the road has many steep slopes and sharp turns without any fences to secure the vehicles. The road is also snow covered mostly throughout the year thus increasing the chance of mishaps.

Snowy road when mixed with the complex natural landscape requires extreme patience and great driving skill to drive in emergency situations. However, given all these extremes through which the road has been put through, the road is one of the busiest pass between the two countries and vehicles, ranging from cars & trucks to even double decker tourist buses pass daily on this road.

 

Skippers Canyon Road (New Zealand):

This is a road that has quite a history behind it. It is about 22 Kms long and was built mostly with “hands by miners” about 150 years ago. This road is scary enough to give goosebumps as it is made from a very narrow cut in the middle of a sheer cliff face.

Notably, it was not allowed for drivers in early 1900s and now is under the protection of New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This winding road requires a special permit to drive! And if you somehow able to get this special permission based on your excellent driving skills, be ready to face a challenging task ahead on the road as there are very good chances of running into someone coming from the other direction on this narrow road. Skippers Canyon has nowadays become a great attention seeker for tourists.

 

Zoji La Pass (India):

It is often called as Zozila or Zoji La or Zojila. Situated in the Indian state of Kashmir, this is a high mountain pass located on the National Highway 1D between Srinagar (Kashmir Valley) and Leh (Ladakh). This pass is a vital link between Ladakh and Kashmir and is maintained by Indian army’s BRO (Border Roads Organisation). This road runs at an elevation of approximately 3,528 metres. This is the second highest pass after Fotu La. It is often closed in winter because of bad conditions for driving.

This road is a lifeline for the people of Ladakh and keeps them in touch with the rest of the world. It is about 9 Kms in length. The margin for error on Zoji La pass is very limited. One mistake or negligence of the road can lead you fatal accident. This is no place for the novice or inexperienced drivers. The road puts you under extreme mental and often physical pressure because of difficult climate. It can get really nasty because of mud here so prior knowledge is recommended to cross this road.

 

Guoliang Tunnel Road (China):

It took 13 men and 6 years to complete this tunnel of about 1.3 Kms. This tunnel is carved along the side of and through a mountain and it has 30 windows through it that gives a mesmerizing view of the outside.

The road has enough space to let two vehicles cross simultaneously. It doesn’t have too much traffic and is closed for many months in winter. What makes it dangerous is its sudden turns and lack of light in foggy and dark conditions. People often describe is as a tunnel not appropriate for faint hearts or lungs. There’s a beautiful waterfall situated at the end of it.

Check out the Part – 2 of this series Here.