Assuming that you are human, you have most probably driven on a road at some point in
your life.
We’re about to take you down some pretty scary roads.
Potholes, falling rocks and other threats plague these parts of the
journey - buckle up because it’s going to be
a bumpy ride.But first, hit that subscribe button down below and the little bell icon
next to it, if you love awesome content like this.
Passo Dello Stelvio Passo Dello Stelvio, or the Stelvio pass,
is undeniably beautiful.
But, from the perspective of someone who has to navigate a huge piece
of metal on wheels down those windy roads safely,
it looks more like someone went crazy with the
Silly String, or an angry lawnmower went rogue.
No, we’re not exaggerating.
You can find this road in the Ortler Alps in Italy, 9,045 feet
above sea level.
It’s actually got 48 hairpin bends, it gets seriously narrow at some points
and it’s got some steep inclines.
It would probably be too steep to drive on if it just
went straight down, but why build this road in
the first place?
Obviously with such a complex system of turns, bends and steep inclines,
some have died.
So no, it’s not safe and it’s best to just avoid driving on it, but it’s still
something to admire.
It’s usually open from around June to September, but it could be
closed at anytime if the snow has not been cleared.
You wouldn’t want snow added to this already risky drive.
So, if you want the scenery, you can go there if you want, but
it’s probably best not to try.
Kabul to Jalalabad Highway This entry is a nightmare.
In Afghanistan, there is a surreal highway that actually
exists.
It’s got winding turns and death rates that would make a serial killer cringe; largely
due to reckless driving.
It’s a long drive of 143 kilometres, going along 600 metre cliffs.
(Yikes).
When this highway was completed way back in 1969, the asphalt was a good standard,
but it has long since deteriorated to a mere gravel road.
The road is an important one, though.
It makes possible the return of Afghan refugees, trade, reconstruction efforts and
humanitarian aid so its reconstruction is being
funded by the European Commission with its design from the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Authority (so there’s hope for everybody then).
The breathtaking scenery of this road hides the scary reality
of reckless drivers and bad driving conditions.
Sometimes during the snowfall, the highway can
remained closed and vehicles can wait in the cold for hours.
Not ideal for vacations.
And obviously in the wet and dark, this road is
best to be left empty, but sadly, just like any
other busy highway, this is not always possible.
The drivers on this road can be likened to Formula One with their driving
techniques that lead to reckless decisions and
more often than not, death.
If anyone said they wanted to drive this road for fun, they would
have to be locked up because this is obviously not the safest place on Earth.
The Siberian Road to Yakutsk Known ominously as “The Road of Bones”,
this road is possibly made worse because it is
practically unavoidable considering it is the
only way to get to Yakutsk.
It is the official federal highway to Yakutsk and is about 1,235
kilometres in length.
It’s made useless with the area’s rain as it turns into the sinking
and mushy mess that is clay.
But hey, if you get some really bad road rage because your
car won’t move, you can always just jump out
into the clay and slosh around.
That’s relaxing, right?
Probably.
Since going through during the rainy season is out of the question, you will
have to go during the winter.
Spring’s bad weather won’t be any help to your travels.
Because of a flowing river near by, it has been
dubbed as “Lena”.
It can only be used in the winter because in the summer it practically
turns into a desert.
It’s like magic!
Maybe if you feel like a mud fight, or a little bit
of survival games, head on over to this stretch
and let the party begin.
Unless, of course, you actually wanted to get somewhere.
Because…
you won’t.
This road could be a little inconvenient with all the icky clay and desertness, probably
not dangerous.
But just try to avoid this road because it won’t be very pleasant.
The North Yungas Road We travel to Bolivia to learn about this
menacing route.
This infamous “Road of Death” or “Death Road” is 70 kilometres of asphalt
and dirt.
Not so glamorous.
It starts in the city of La Paz with an altitude of over 4500 meters
and makes its way through the Amazon (not the
store) all the way down to the town of Coroico 3000+ meters down.
The dangerous parts come in the form of bad weather - fog, rain and dust
which sometimes can reduce visibility to just a
few metres.
Scary and seriously impractical for driving.
So don’t come here.
If that weren’t enough to deter you from guaranteed death,
maybe some more factors will discourage you.
Extreme drop offs of about 600 meters, which would probably kill you, no guard rails to
protect you after an unexpected swerve after something runs across the road and uneven
road surfaces which are just about three metres
wide.
That is some scary stuff and if you don’t think so, you’re wrong!
200-300 deaths annually are what makes this road the disaster that
it is.
We’re not saying it isn’t beautiful, because it definitely is.
Enjoy responsibly is all we can say, unless you just want to avoid
it and stay at home.
Staying at home and watching videos like these are enough
adventure, right?
We think so!
So stay safe this year and avoid all this unnecessary fear
and anxiety.
The Dalton Highway This dangerous highway is all the way in
Alaska.
Where do we start?
It’s a rough industrial road and is mostly unpaved.
Well, that’s off to a good start.
It was featured in the 2011 British series World’s Most Dangerous
Roads because it is considered to be one of the
most dangerous roads in the world (well, duh).
It’s a whole 667 kilometres with only three gas
stations, no cell signal and no population along the road.
(Whaaat?)
Let’s hope that no one decides to do a 24-hour challenge of this
road, although it’s already a long drive.
This road sounds like a few things could go wrong.
Hours long stretch on an isolated road with no
cell signal and no people anywhere?
Next thing you know some psycho is dragging you off to
their family for dinner.
As in, you will be served, on plates.
No thank you.
But we can imagine how peaceful this drive would be -
anxiety aside.
Imagine yourself, cruising down this long road, your favorite songs playing
and an endless supply of snacks.
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
But maybe not, considering you will certainly be in loads of trouble if you were
to… break down.
That would really suck, so we would advise you to avoid this road at all
costs on your travels this year.
Or you know, do what you want; but you have been warned.
Cotopaxi Volcano Road This particularly dangerous road belongs
to Ecuador, and although Ecuador has a few bad
roads, this one takes the cake.
This 40 kilometre road leads to the Cotopaxi National
Park entrance and you have to cross a stream, while being near one of the most active
volcanoes ever, having around 50 eruptions since 1738.
This sounds more like a quest for a brave knight, ready to rescue his damsel in
distress.
If you are a brave knight, be sure to pay extra attention to your surroundings,
because things could get ugly fast.
If the scary threat of a volcanic eruption doesn’t
unsettle you, how about the fact that there is
a stream to cross, that is prone to flash floods (some of which can be fatal).
We definitely would not take our families here
for a vacation.
Potholes and flash floods at the sight of rain riddle this road.
These slippery slopes, death rates and almost hidden potholes
would make anybody shudder in fear, and nobody would even want to go there even in their
dreams.
This road is probably the worst compared to all the other bad roads linked
to the infamous Pan American Highway.
This is a whole 40 kilometres of nightmarish driving
conditions that would just suck to navigate through.
So beware if you decide to traverse it.
The A44 England It seems that nowhere in the world is safe
from bad driving roads.
But it’s not gravel roads or huge potholes that make this road
as bad as it is, it’s simply human error.
That’s right.
This road is bad for humans because of humans.
That is a weird sentence.
But the reason that this road is so dangerous and
negatively viewed is because of accidents like head on collisions.
This road sees multiple accidents almost on the daily, some
proving fatal.
This road is used by heavy goods vehicles and truckers which lead to
traffic snares and other things.
The government has installed monitoring devices
but accidents still happen, rising in numbers.
Accidents in certain sections are caused by drivers risking overtaking trucks
at tight bends.
Not a good idea.
This road is mostly two-laned with truckers and people
traveling to different towns choosing to use it.
The causes for these unfortunate accidents are bad weather, reckless driving
and unnecessary speed.
Wet days can bring heavy fog to some sections which cloud
visibility and traffic snares due to the truckers that are a regular on this road.
It causes irritation and impatience on the
motorists’ parts which of course results in
accidents.
It’s a recipe for disaster, best to be left alone.
Efforts are being made to make this death road a safer place and that
is very fortunate.
So if you are in England this year, try not to experience the ride
that is: The A44.
The Zojila Pass, India We have made our way to India.
Welcome.
Did you know that India has the second largest
population in the world?
Yes, India is the home of a lot of people...and the Zojila
Pass.
This pass is a route between Ladakh and Kashmir, and is way above sea level by a few
thousand feet.
How many feet?
11,580 feet.
This road is narrow and can be found all the way on the western part of the Himalayan
mountain range as part of the route from Srinagar to Leh.
This is a very dangerous road because of a few too many reasons, like
it is extremely narrow and has no guard rails, which can go wrong very fast.
The Zojila pass often experiences vicious winds
and heavy snowfall.
With the heavy snowfall that can be between 15 and 24 metres deep
often results in this route being closed, which is a problem because this route keeps
the people of Ladakh in touch with the world.
This pass has had over 60 landslides.
The police had to rescue 350 people in 2009 who
were stranded because of the heavy snowfall.
If the roads were closed, they will usually be reopened in Spring, but there will still
be violent gusts due to the conical shape of
the valley.
Fairy Meadows Road This 16.2 kilometre road is located on a
mountain in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan.
It is dangerous because it is unpaved and unmaintained.
It has no guard rails to protect you and it becomes so narrow
at the end that you can’t get very far with an average car.
Another dangerous aspect of Fairy Meadows Road is a 6 mile stretch on
a very bad and uneven road.
This road was built by the local village people of the Nanga
Parbat Mountain hundreds of years ago and has
not undergone any sort of repairs since.
It is the width of a jeep so there is no room
for mistakes or speed, as it could end fatally.
Fairy Meadows is the starting point for those who want to climb the Nanga Parbat,
but the last sections up to this started point can only be traveled by foot or
bicycle.
June and July are the best months to visit because it is only open in the summer
and closed during winter.
If you don’t have strong nerves or a serious love of mountains,
don’t bother coming here because you would definitely chicken out and waste the money
you spent to get there.
Avalanches, snow falls and ice patches plague this pass and
add to its danger.
The A537, Britain This road, which is locally known as the ‘Cat
and Fiddle’ road, or the ‘Widow-Maker’ because of its high death toll, is frequented
by tourists, motorcyclists and heavy goods vehicles.
So, it is a popular road.
But this road has severe bends, steep falls and is
edged with rock face for almost its entire length.
So we don’t understand why it’s so popular - it’s got high death tolls and
obstacle course-like features.
Serious and fatal accidents have risen by 127% in only
three years.
Surprisingly, these crashes have occured in dry weather in complete daylight.
Seriously?
Yes, seriously.
So for your travels, don’t come here because the death
tolls are serious and scary.
The majority of these accidents, as shown by police records,
were male motorcyclists at the age of 35.
Mid life is not the time to die.
AA president Edmund King has said: “The worst performing
A537 road may be known locally as the Cat and
Fiddle, but it’s reputation is more of a widow-maker.
This report shows that road safety should be able to continue to improve
during the current period of austerity.
Dangerous stretches must be targeted - both with engineering and education backed
enforcement.”
Yikes, that does not sound like somewhere we will be going to.
We choose life.
Well, we hope this list showed where not to do a road trip this year.
Before you go, remember to like and subscribe.
And don’t forget - drive safe!