Roads come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them come with their very own dangers, too, like the ones on this list. The roads on this list have been deemed by travelers as some of the world’s most dangerous roads and with good reason.
Sharp turns, potholes, and slippery paths can turn any adventure into a funeral. Some of these roads are located in areas that are prone to landslides, making traveling across them extremely difficult. Some of these frequently traveled roads don't even have guard rails to protect drivers!
Andes Road, Peru
The Peruvian Andes are filled with wonders that can satiate any traveler’s deepest desires, but the Andes Road can quickly send chills down anyone’s spine when traveling by car because the roads are so narrow that only one car can travel at a time and there are no guard rails to keep a vehicle from rolling over the cliff.
Guoliang Tunnel Road, China
The Chinese town of Guoliang carved a road on the side of the Taihang Mountains, which took five years to finish. But sudden drops and sharp turns await any driver brave enough to traverse the Guoliang Tunnel Road.
Seven Mile Bridge, Florida
Florida’s been dubbed the sunshine state because it’s sunny almost all of the time, so on its own, the Seven Mile Bridge isn’t dangerous at all. But during hurricane season, people scramble to drive away from the Florida Keys before a tropical storm or hurricane makes landfall and anyone caught on this bridge during one of these storms could wind up injured or worse.
Atlantic Road, Norway
Unlike some of the other roads on this list, Norway’s Atlantic Road looks spacious and modern with guard rails and all. Unfortunately, the waves are grueling and can slam towards the road at any given time. So, a driver has to pay close attention to avoid an accident.
Le Passage Du Gois, France
Le Passage Du Gois once claimed the lives of many people who tried crossing it using horse-drawn carriages. But even today’s modern cars are no match for this road when the water rises 13 feet high and submerges the entire two-and-a-half-mile passage.
Rohtang Pass, India
India’s known for having lots of dangerous roads, and the Rohtang Pass is among the most dangerous ones. Why? Because the road is prone to landslides that can damage vehicles or in some cases force drivers off a cliff.
Vitim River Bridge, Siberia, Russia
The Vitim River Bridge has been around since the Soviet Union was around and it’s made of planks of rotten wood. So, anyone driving across this 1,900-foot-long bridge can’t be a speed demon or they might damage the bridge and slide off into the icy waters below.
Shantipur Road, Central Nepal
Vehicles traveling through Shantipur Road that connects the Rudrabeni and Ridi villages should be weary, especially for travelers who suffer from car sickness. The treacherous road has lots of unexpected drop-offs and deadly curves. And one bad swerve can send a vehicle off the edge of the cliff road.
Pilcomayo Canyon, Bolivia
The dirt road of the Pilcomayo Canyon in Bolivia is quite narrow and if we’re being honest, the road has seen better days, but sadly, the country has made very little efforts to fix it. And to add insult to injury, the area is prone to fog which reduces visibility.
Kishtwar Road, India
Like most dangerous roads on this list, the Kishtwar Road in India’s Jammu region offers no rails to keep vehicles from riding off the cliff, which can happen since the road is made of only gravel. And to add insult to injury, landslides happen frequently after a rainstorm here.
Ancient Thera Road, Greece
The road leading to Ancient Thera in Greece is called the Kamari Serpentines and with good reason. The asphalt road offers 22 hairpins turns. Careful drivers have nothing to worry about, but given the incredible views of the sea, a distracted driver might find themselves driving off the road or crashing into another driver.
Cahills Crossing, Australia
Cahills Crossing is located in Kakadu, Australia, and travelers consider it a tourist attraction. The path tends to get flooded and moody, making it difficult to cross. Even sturdy vehicles aren’t immune to the strong currents. And if that wasn’t scary enough, there are crocodiles lurking in the waters.
The Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway that borders China and Pakistan is 800 miles long and it's full of terrible challenges that have cost drivers their lives. Some of these challenges include avalanches, landslides and flooding, but the region is known for heavy snowfall, which makes the road even more treacherous.
Zoji Pass, India
Authorities tend to close the Zoji Pass in the winter because snow has been known to form ice walls along the narrow path. The road has no rails to keep drivers from rolling off the steep cliff either. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Zoji Pass is prone to avalanches that have left drivers trapped on more than one occasion.
Stelvio Pass, Italy
The Stelvio Pass zig zags 9,000 feet towards the Italian Alps. There are 48 turns along the way that are sharp and deadly and the only thing keeping drivers from tumbling down the mountain is a concrete barrier that is barely high enough to keep a bike from rolling over.
The Widow-Maker, United Kingdom
The A537 road in the United Kingdom has been dubbed the Widow-Maker and for good reason. The beautiful scenery of the Peak District is so impressive that it has been known to distract drivers, which has led to fatal accidents as a result of those various sharp bends.
Skipper’s Canyon Road, New Zealand
No barriers? Big problem. This winding road was built by miners back in the 19th century. It’s also made of gravel and extremely narrow. So, anyone trying to cross Skipper’s Canyon Road must get a special permit and most rental car insurances won’t cover a driver who’s gotten into trouble while trying to get across it.
The Million Dollar Highway, Colorado
The U.S. Route 550 is commonly known as The Million Dollar Highway because according to local legend, a female traveler once said that she’d only drive through it again if someone paid her a million bucks. And who could blame her? The road twists and turns through narrow curves and cliffs and worst of all, there are no barriers anywhere.
I-45, Houston, Texas
I-45 is full of curves and locals are always headed in one direction or another no matter what time of the day it is. But the reason why this interstate is considered the second deadliest highway in the U.S. is because analysts claim that approximately 56 life-ending accidents occur on this highway every year.
La Rumorosa Highway, Mexico
La Rumorosa Highway in Baja California, Mexico is a mountain pass full of unexpected turns and steep falls that are not for the faint of heart or inexperienced drivers. And since the highway is very narrow, those who have tried to pass trucks didn’t live long enough to regret it.
Gotthard Pass, Switzerland
The Gotthard Pass is made of cobblestones but like many roads on this list, there are steep falls and dangerous turns that can creep up on drivers who are way too distracted by the beauty of Swiss Alpine in the background.
Kondaveedu Fort, India
The road leading to the Kondaveedu Fort in Andhra Pradesh, India, requires drivers to travel up and down the pass and make sharp turns along the way. And since this is a popular tourist attraction, there are lots of vehicles, so distractions can often lead to accidents.
South Sudanese Roads, Sudan
Traveling by car in South Sudan is tricky because many of the highways are still nothing more than dirt roads and that’s fine on a dry sunny day. But when it rains, these highways turn into mud that slow drivers down, leaving them vulnerable to bandits.
Roads in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea has tons of unpaved roads that tend to turn into a swamp when it rains, making it difficult to cross unless one has some sort of off-road truck. But that’s not the only danger that drivers face here. The crime rate is high so thieves that have been known to stalk drivers here, too.
Bayburt D915, Turkey
This long road in Turkey is really tough to drive on. It has 29 very sharp turns, and there aren't any barriers to keep cars from falling off. The only way to drive safely is to be a really good driver. The Bayburt D915 is so dangerous that some parts are closed in winter because of avalanches, blizzards, and other bad weather. Even though it's dangerous, many people still drive on this road every day using different kinds of vehicles.
Fairy Meadows Road, Pakistan
The Fairy Meadows Road in Gilgit-Baltistan may be shorter than other roads, but it's still very scary to drive on. It doesn't have guardrails or barriers to keep you safe. The road is bumpy and not taken care of. It's so narrow that you can only drive a Jeep Wrangler on it, and eventually, you'll have to walk or ride a bike. The road goes uphill quickly, and it's hard to drive on the steep parts because the tires don't have good grip.
North Yungas Road, Bolivia
Called the "Scary Road", this 80-km highway connects Coroico and La Paz. It's a very scary and narrow road that's only about 3.5 meters wide. There are no barriers to stop cars from falling really far down to the Amazon valley. It's hard to see because of fog, rain, and dust clouds, and mudslides happen a lot too. In the past, about 200 to 300 people would die on this road every year. But luckily, the number of accidents has gone down because parts of the road have been made wider and safer.
Siberian Road to Yakutsk, Russia
This long road goes all the way to Yakutsk in Russia. It's a very cold place to drive, almost like the coldest part of Antarctica. And be careful not to wear metal glasses, they might freeze onto your face! In the summer, it gets even trickier because the road turns into muddy traps. Some people get stuck in heavy snowstorms and mud every year. There aren't many stores around, so be sure to bring lots of supplies if you want to go on this road trip.
Skippers Canyon Road, New Zealand
Skippers Canyon Road is a long dirt road that was made over 100 years ago by miners using small tools and explosives. It's a famous place for tourists to visit because of its beautiful sights. However, driving on this road is very risky. It's so risky that if there's an accident, car insurance won't cover it.
Zojila Pass, India
This road connects Ladakh and Kashmir and is 9 km long. It goes along a mountain that's about 3,528 meters high. The road is made of dirt and doesn't have any walls or barriers to protect you from falling off the cliff. Because of rain, wind, snow, and landslides, the Zojila Pass is closed in the winter, which means Ladakh is cut off from the rest of the world. You can only drive on this road if you have an off-road vehicle because of the rocky ground.
Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China and Tibet
The Sichuan-Tibet Highway is a very dangerous road in Asia. There are always rocks falling, avalanches, and mudslides to worry about. This road is 2,140 km long and goes up to 4,700 meters high. It has lots of curves. Sadly, many people die on this road every year, and people get sick from the high altitude. But even though it's dangerous, the road goes by Buddhist monasteries, small villages in the mountains, and lots of yaks, so tourists still want to see it.
Taroko Gorge Road, Taiwan
Just like the Guoliang Tunnel Road in China, the Taroko Gorge Road is also made by carving a mountain. This road is 19 km long and is narrow with lots of turns. There's always a risk of rocks falling, earthquakes, and landslides. The road goes through beautiful mountains with green cliffs and rivers below, so lots of people want to drive there. Tour buses, cyclists, and bikers all want to be on this road, even though it's narrow.
99-Bend Road to Heaven, China
In Tianmen Mountain National Park, there is a road called the 99-Bend. It's 11 km long and has a remarkable 99 sharp turns. The road is very high up with drops of about 1,175 meters. China is known for building scary things like the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge. On the 99-Bend road, the twists, turns, and cliffs without any protection make it dangerous. There's also a higher chance of earthquakes in this area of the world.
Stelvio Pass, Italy
The Stelvio Pass is different from the other dangerous roads on this list. The danger here is that you might get distracted by the beautiful views of the mountains. This road goes for 46.8 km and has 48 sharp turns called hairpin bends. The Stelvio Pass is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the Eastern Alps. In 2008, it was even chosen as the best road to drive on by Top Gear. To keep everyone safe, there are barriers made of cement to stop cars, bikes, and cyclists from falling off the road.
Tizi-n-Test, Morocco
Tizi-n-Test is a mountain pass that goes from Marrakech to Taroudant. It's a very long road, about 180 km, and it's up in the Atlas Mountains. The road doesn't have any barriers on the sides, and local drivers sometimes drive really fast and go back and forth on the road. It's not safe to drive at night because there aren't lights and it's hard to see. The road becomes even more dangerous when the weather is bad. In the winter, there are landslides and avalanches almost every day.
Pan American Highway, Alaska to Chile
What makes the Pan American Highway dangerous is not the road or the weather. The real danger comes from rebels in Panama and dangerous cartels in parts of Mexico and Central America. Despite that, this super long road is about 48,000 km! It's famous because it connects North and South America. Some people think it's one of the scariest roads in the whole world.
Col du Chaussy, France
Beginning at the well-known "Les Lacets de Montvernier," this beautiful mountain pass is 13.8 km long and offers amazing views of the valley below. Many cyclists can be seen on this dizzying road. Fortunately, it's one of the safest roads on this list because it has cement barriers along the edge to protect everyone.
Canning Stock Route, Australia
The Canning Stock Route is a popular route that goes across Australia. Even though there isn't much to see along the way, this road can be tough to travel on. It's empty, far away from everything, and covered in dust. The route is about 1,850 km long and goes through Western Australia. It takes about three weeks to drive the whole road and you'll need plenty of supplies. It's really hard to drive on this road during hot summer days.
Pokhara to Jomsom to Muktinath Road in Nepal
This long road in the Himalayas is about 155 km. It goes through the Kali Gandaki Gorge, which is one of the deepest gorges in the whole world. The Pokhara to Jomsom to Muktinath Road is high up, between 1,340 to 3,800 meters above the Gandaki River, so you can see beautiful views of the valley. But just like other roads in the mountains, this road can have mudslides, flooding, potholes, and rocks falling unexpectedly.
Cotahuasi Canyon Road, Southern Peru
In the wild terrain of Southern Peru, you can find the Cotahuasi Canyon Road. After the town of Chuquibamba, this road is not made of pavement, but instead a dusty path. It's only 35 km long, and it's very narrow. You can only drive on it with a four-wheel drive vehicle. This road goes through one of the deepest canyons in the world. It's actually twice as deep as the Grand Canyon! Despite being not well-known, the Cotahuasi Canyon Road has some camping spots and scenic views that make it interesting for tourists.