Most Dangerous Roads in the World

 

What high speed, unpoliced road terrifies travelers in Brazil?

 Which curving mountain passes frighten motorists in the Himalayas?

 Find out as we take a look at the Most Dangerous Roads in the World.

 Number 13 Road of the 52 Tunnels Originally built in the early 20th century as a military trail through the compact mountain range of Pasubio, this Italian road is easily one of the toughest to follow in Europe.

 The combination of loose rock and gravel along with thick fog and battle-ruined cliffs create a lethal obstacle course for the average traveler.

 This road was constructed in just a 10-month time span and was considered a marvelous masterpiece in engineering at the time.

 But it hasn't changed much since, and the towering height of the minimalist cliffside trail sends chills down the spines of those ascending the summit.

 Unsurprisingly, this road features 52 different tunnels, all with specific names relating to the Italian military that originally used it.

 These tunnels are typically just 6 to 7 feet wide and tall and only allow for people to travel by foot or mule, which may work out for the best.

 Attempting to drive on a path like the Road of the 52 Tunnels is an accident waiting to happen!

 Number 12 Federal Highway 101 This nightmarish federal highway spans the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and while the driving conditions aren't especially dangerous, the potential encounters that await travelers are perilous to say the least.

 Gangs, bandits and illicit contraband all roam along this road, with crimes like smuggling, kidnapping, and worse being a frequent problem.

 Most drivers now traverse miles out of the way to avoid Federal Highway 101 in hopes of dodging the horrific acts of the region's cartels, making this one of the world's most treacherous roads.

 Number 11 BR-116

 As a federal highway of Brazil, BR-116 is well traveled as it spans the eastern coast of the tropical country.

 Being the longest completely paved road in the nation it would seem a likely candidate for the safest as well.

 Unfortunately, this conclusion assumes too much.

 This highway is consistently jam-packed with truckers and unstable weather conditions paired with a winding, curvy road make this route a nightmarish obstacle course for the average driver.

 To worsen the matter, police seldom patrol BR-116 and crimes involving human trafficking and armed gangs are a frequent, unanswered evil along the highway.

 All around, this is not a road you want to be stuck on.

 Even with a fully paved road, this path on BR-116 is certainly more trouble than it's worth.

 Number 10 James Dalton Highway While many of the roads on this list suffer from high traffic, the James Dalton Highway represents the other end of the spectrum as one of the most isolated highways on Earth.

 This two-way gravel path reaches across Alaska for 414 miles, or the ominous equivalent of 666 kilometers.

 Throughout the span of the drive along this road, only three towns can be found.

 Because of this proper preparation is highly necessary to make this road trip.

 The majority of drivers traveling along this highway are truckers working for the nearby Trans-Alaska Pipe System.

 These motorists are familiar with the dangers of this drive, but those without Dalton Highway experience risk being stranded outside the reach of civilization.

 And with poor road conditions, weather, and visibility being additional issues, its recommended that drivers take their time on this frigid Alaskan road.

 Number 9 Atlantic Road Widely praised, the Atlantic Road is just over 5 miles long and extends across the midwestern coastline of Norway, connecting various islands and archipelagos along a singular route.

 Requiring more than 20 years of planning, six years of construction, and 122 million Norwegian kroner , this road earned its accolades on sheer effort alone.

 It has been named as a cultural heritage site, a National Tourist Route, "the world's best road trip", and the "Norwegian Construction of the Century".

 Yet, despite these titles, traveling along Atlantic Road can be far from a joyride.

 The road rides like a rollercoaster with twisting hills weaved over the waves of the ocean, dipping in and out of the scattered landmasses.

 Weather in the region can be unpredictable, causing high, powerful waves to come crashing onto the highway, often accompanied by winds of up to 30 miles per hour!

 Number 8 Guoliang Tunnel Road Coursing through the stone face of a mountain, this road is named for the nearby town and villagers that constructed it almost five decades ago.

 Originally built to allow easier access to the outside world, Guoliang Tunnel Road was carved with just hammers, chisels, and steel by a meer 13 villagers.

 This fact alone makes it one of the most dangerous roads in the world, let alone China.

 But at just 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide, with more than 30 open windows to depths below, this curving tunnel road features a whole slew of dangers.

 Making the trip on this route becomes much more difficult at night or in the rain as the various windows, and stretches of open path can become distorted, and even the most minor of mistakes can result in fatal consequences.

 Number 7 Stelvio Pass The serpentine road of Stelvio Pass snakes down the Ortler Alps of Italy as one of the highest mountain roads in Europe.

 Zig-zagging its way down a steep incline, this road features almost 50 sharp, narrow turns as drivers descend to the base of the mountain.

 Accidents occur here often, either by locals hastily trying to make their way down in record time, or by tourists underestimating the difficulty of the drive.

 Either way, motorists attempting to make this scenic Italian drive would do best to take caution.

 Car and truck drivers aren't the only ones who risk riding this route, though, as cyclists and motorcyclists also race down this winding path annually as well.

 While accidents with these riders occur less often, the danger is still very real thanks to Stelvio Pass's hairpin turns.

 Number 6 Kabul-Jalalabad Highway One of the most important trails used in the humanitarian and reconstruction efforts for Afghan refugees is the Kabul-Jalalabad Highway which threads itself along the Kabul River Gorge.

 This chasm has served as a final resting place for so many motorists that locals can no longer keep up.

 Rising more than two thousand feet above the Kabul River, the highway nearly guarantees a fatal end to anyone unfortunate enough to go tumbling down.

 The sharp turns of the road offer little time to react should another vehicle come racing around the bend.

 Between incredibly slow moving trucks and impatient, reckless smaller vehicles, the pass becomes a series of dangerous stunts as local drivers attempt to speed through the traffic.

 Number 5 Zoji La

 A combination of mud and snow make this Indian mountain pass the pinnacle of a pain in the neck.

 Even when the weather is clear, though, this road is still highly risky to drive.

 A single, crumbling lane courses through the Himalayan range, separating the valleys of Kashmir and Dras [drahs].

 Daring truck drivers make this trip fairly often, but intense snowfall has led the pass to close for the majority of the winter.

 To survive this treacherous trip along some of the world's highest summits, travelers need both constant attention to detail along with a sturdy vehicle capable of ascending the dirt trail.

 If you should be able to make the trip, though, the view has been said to be worth the risk with crisp, white mountains contrasting with thick, verdant patches of jungle below.

 Number 4 Karakoram Highway More than 15 thousand feet above sea level, the Karakoram Highway is an international road connecting China and Pakistan and thought to be one of the world's toughest driving inclines.

 To build the road alongside an ancient Silk Road path, almost 900 workers lost their lives in accidents across the 27 years it took to construct, either to landslides or accidental falls from the mountains.

 Between those perils, avalanches and heavy snowfall, drivers face a harrowing journey requiring not just great driving skills, but a state of the art vehicle as well.

 The view of the nearby summit of K2 is enthralling and attracts many travelers to this road, but Karakoram Highway also tends to offer a narrow road and altitude sickness as well, making the drive and staying within your slim margin of error all the more difficult.

 Number 3 Fairy Meadows Road While many of the roads on this list feature some sort of actual construction, the Fairy Meadows Road of Pakistan seems more like a path meant for groups of adventurous mountain climbers than a pass for motorists.

 A narrow dirt road, bending along the the mountain range leads to Nanga Parbat , the 9th tallest mountain in the world and 2nd largest in Pakistan behind K2.

 Barricades are sorely missed from this road, leaving drivers to cruise around the edge of the cliff with a thin margin of error.

 Luckily, as a paid toll road, traffic here is sparse, but the elements already provide plenty of danger.

 Fairy Meadows Road leads up to a nearly 8000-foot ascent, making snowfall, high altitude and cold weather all factors to take into consideration.

 High winds and avalanches can complicate matters further, either closing the pass or creating hazardous obstacles, even damaging the crumbling road in the process.

 At some point, the road will become so narrow that travelers will have to proceed on foot or by bicycle, where the path leads straight to the alpine forested valley known as Fairy Meadows.

 Number 2 Road of Bones An unpaved Siberian road through one of the coldest areas of Russia delivers motorists directly to the city of Yakutsk . The city itself is built on permafrost and as such, the winter is actually the safest time of year to traverse the 760 mile road as it's more stable when the ground is frozen solid.

 Come summertime, though, this region is prone to heavy bouts of rainfall and the road becomes a swamp.

 This experience results in long traffic jams that spread for miles as motorists attempt to ford the muddy roadway, with drivers stuck in traffic making easy prey for thieves.

 The dark modern reality of the highway matches the grim history of the Road of Bones as its construction resulted in the fatalities of tens of thousands of Soviet-era prisoners.

 Number 1 North Yungas Road Also called the "Road of Fate," North Yungas Road was named as the "world's most dangerous road" by the Inter-American Development Bank in 1995.

 This gorgeous mountainside route rises more than fifteen thousand feet and ranging in terrain from the plateaus of the Andes to the luscious foliage of the rainforest.

 With its narrow, semi-single lane along a cliffside, North Yungas Road is undoubtedly perilous with between two and three hundred motorists falling victim to lethal car accidents annually.

 Which of these roads would you dare to drive?

 Let us know which one and why in the comments below!