Accidents do happen and, in some cases, the motorists are not to blame, the road is. Some roads are notorious for fatalities, so it’s always best to be extra cautious when travelling on them.
StressFreeCarRental.com researched treacherous roads across the world, where a single mistake could cost drivers their lives.
According to the car rental comparison website, motorists should always drive with caution and follow extra safety measures such as slowing down and being extra observant when navigating the routes.
“Drivers are urged to proceed with extreme caution while attempting to tackle any of the most dangerous roads in the world. Whether someone is an exceptionally experienced driver or overconfident, is it not worth taking any chances,” said StressFreeCarRental.
The 10 roads where one wrong move will end in almost certain death:
1. Skippers Canyon Road, New Zealand
This 26.5km route in the south-west of New Zealand was hand carved by miners in 1890, and many stretches remain unaltered today. It is a winding, narrow road, with twisty hairpin turns, high elevation and steep grades.
2. El Caracol, Chile and Argentina
The road connecting Argentina and Chile is in the Andean mountains, at an elevation of more than 3 900m. It has multiple tight bends, particularly on the Chilean side, and it is especially dangerous due to the heavy truck that regularly use it.
3. North Yungas Road, Bolivia
Known locally as the “route of death”, the single-lane road spans 8.5km and has vertical drops of up to 915m into the Amazon jungle below. This road is home to a staggering 200 hairpin twists.
4. Taroko Gorge Road, Taiwan
The winding road snakes through the mountains. Despite its frightening reputation, it remains popular because of the breathtaking beauty of its surroundings. However, parts of the route are often impassable due to severe rainfall and typhoons triggering land and rock slides.
5. Fairy Meadows Road, Pakistan
Spanning 16km, the unpaved road connecting Karakoram Highway to Tato village is extremely dangerous. As it’s a unstable gravel road, with a hazardous high altitude and tight turns, there is nothing to prevent a vehicle from falling thousands of metres to the valley below.
6. Zojila Pass, India
Located 3 505m above sea level, the terrifying mountain pass in India has no protective barriers and is notorious for landslides. The road is narrow and, in many places, is a one-way, making it one of the most dangerous passing places in the world. Vicious winds and heavy snowfall means there have been many rescue missions to help people trapped there.
7. Snake Pass, England
The Snake Pass in the Peak District is a hot spot for fatal accidents and is a notoriously hazardous road, with blind summits and difficult bends. The pass is usually forced to shut for an average of 70 days of the year because of the dangerous conditions caused by heavy snow and landslides.
8. Route 1, America
The US Route 1 along the East Coast of America is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Part of the path is one of the longest overwater roads in the world and has seen many fatalities over the years. The many kilometres of bridge over deep waters means many drivers feel scared and daunted as they pass over.
9. Bealach-na-ba road, Scotland
Located in the Applecross peninsula in the Scottish, Highlands, the isolated so-called road, also known as the “devil’s elbow” boasts the steepest ascent of any road in the UK, at 626m. This narrow and mountainous pass has a fearsome reputation due to its terrifying sharp hairpin twists and turns and steep gradients approaching 17%.
10. Sani Pass, South Africa
Sani Pass is a high mountain road which stands at an elevation of 2 865m. It is littered with the remains of the vehicles that failed to make the ascent. The notoriously dangerous road requires the use of a 4x4 vehicle, due to its water crossings, waterfalls, hairpin bends, and switchbacks, with steep angles of up to 180 degrees.