Be warned! These are the 10 most dangerous roads in the world

If you thought dangerous roads were just stretches of potholes to give you a bump on your head, then think again.There are far worse roads around the world,which when negotiated, will make your hair stand on end. As common highways for those living in the vicinity, you should consider yourself lucky never needing to drive down one. This list of 10 most dangerous roads around the world, pose a real challenge to any driver, testing both courage and determination. Passing through treacherous mountain gorges, sharp U-turns and nerve racking hairpin bends, some of them even pass through active war zones. A helmet is well advised to prevent a stray bullet in the head.

1Rohtang Pass, India

Rohtang! The word itself is daunting enough. Would you consider driving through a road whose name means ”Pile of corpses”!

Situated in the eastern Himalaya at an elevation of 4000 meters, the Rohtang Pass stretches from Kullu to the Lahaul and Spiti valley. It is open to traffic for just 7 months a year from May after the snow melts to November.The pass is notorious for its unpredictable weather, regular snowstorms, mudslides and avalanches. Its worst accident was marked in 2010 when a raging snowstorm stranded almost 300 tourists.

2Stelvio Pass,Italy

The highest road of the eastern Alps, the Stelvio Pass is enough to make your head swing at the sharp drop during negotiation. At 9045 feet, it runs through 60 hairpin bends zigzagging all the way between Valtellina and the upper Aidige valley. Its low placed concrete barrier does nothing for safety. Its awesome switchbacks are a thrilling
tourist attraction when the pass opens between June and September.

3Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China

Would you consider driving along a road that has a fatality rate of 75 deaths for every 1000 drivers?

Avalanches, mudslides and rock slides are regular feature that come along with this death defying package. The Sichuan -Tibet highway is feared by many where even local drivers dread the long 21420km stretch starting from Chengdu and ending in Lhasa.

4Skippers Canyon Road, New Zealand

This is one scary and challenging road no sane driver would attempt to travel upon unless you are a thrill seeker. Among the world’s most narrow and dangerous roads, it is cut sharply into the rock face and winds through Skipper’s Canyon in New Zealand. Considered a danger zone, it requires a permit for entry.

5A537, United Kingdom

Not a Mountain Pass but just a highway locally known as ‘the widow maker’. One of England’s most dangerous highways, the road is well known for its fatal accidents due to the nature of its construction. With sharp bends and drops, the treacherous A537 is a good seven miles long and as such motorists and motorcyclists tend to underestimate the dangers of speeding.

6Dalton Highway, Alaska

Built in the middle of nowhere, this 667 km Dalton highway leads up to a region called Dead Horse,which is close to the Arctic Ocean. The road is a dangerous stretch of debris and potholes and is always deserted.

7Zoji La Pass, India

At 3528 meters, the Zoji La is the second highest Mountain Pass in India. Being Ladakh’s only link with the rest of the country, it is infamous for its narrow stretches known only to local drivers and the transport trucks, which regularly travel between Kashmir and Ladakh.

8Transfagarasan Road, Romania

Although named by BBC as the “best road in the world’, Transfagarasan Road in Romania is a mean stretch of zig-zagging mountainous road featuring steep descents and in numerous hairpin bends.

Famed for its scenic beauty, the Transfagarasan Road connects the region of Walachia with none other than the area famous for its Dracula legend, Transylvania.

9Karakoram Highway, Pakistan

As weird as it seems, this treacherous road is actually named ‘the Friendship Highway’. Could it be friendship with death? Known as the world’s highest paved road, the Karakoram Highway stands at an elevation of 4800 meters.
Running across the Khunjerab Pass, the 800 miles long highway runs up to China and is repeatedly met with avalanches and floods.


10

Highway 1, Afghanistan

Though not entirely treacherous by nature of its terrain, the Highway 1 is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous roads notorious for running through Taliban territory. The riskiest part of the journey connects the regions of Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad and runs 600meters along the Kabul Gorge.

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