Eight of the world’s most dangerous roads: not for the faint-hearted
From Bolivia’s Road of Death to Pakistan’s Karakoram Highway, these are some of the deadliest drives on the planet
The words “scenic drive” fill me with dread. Where others envisage spectacular alpine vistas, empty roads and benign bends, I picture muddy, barrier-less switchbacks, mountainsides studded with precariously balanced boulders and worn out tyres scrabbling for purchase on the lip of a 3,000-metre ravine.
Losing concentration on any of these eight white-knuckle highways is likely to result in vehicle, driver and passengers hurtling into the abyss. This is living on the edge, in more ways than one.
1 North Yungas Road
At its peak, if that’s the right word, between 200 and 300 people lost their lives every year on Bolivia’s El Camino de la Muerte, the Road of Death. The treacherous 56km track offers up everything you would expect from a single-lane nightmare described as the world’s most hazardous road. Limited visibility due to frequent rain and fog; check. An absence of safety railings; check. Reckless drivers who have an unquestioning belief in the afterlife; check.
Ten years ago, the Bolivian government wisely decided to build a bypass and so, these days, the only daredevils you’ll see are on two wheels – guided mountain-bike tours are a popular way of sampling the sharp turns and sheer drops, although fatalities still occur. Try to remember; it’s not a life or death experience, it’s just a scenic drive.