Get up early in the morning, have a good, nutritious breakfast, quickly go to the gas station and head to a mountain pass to spend a carefree day in the car, enjoy the driving pleasure and discover enchanting landscapes. This could be an everyday scenario for someone enjoying a little fun on four wheels on a day off. What could be an ideal itinerary? For example the Stelvio Pass, with its winding hairpin bends, its small strips of asphalt in the middle of a postcard mountain backdrop. It's a shame that you have to pay close attention because this is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the worldwhere you can't make jokes at all.
Some spooky streets
First on the list is the unfortunately well-known “path of death”. North Yungas Rd, located in Bolivia and made even more famous among enthusiasts by an old Top Gear special (which recently ended for good) in which Jeremy Clarkson and his companions struggle with this narrow and busy street, with no railings, with a menacing overhang and endlessly to the side. This road connects La Paz with Coroico and reaches an altitude of 4,650 meters at its highest point. It is estimated that 200 to 300 people lose their lives on this rugged trail every year. A real blunder.
It's less scary and more effective Taroko Gorge, in Taiwan. This communication route is located in the national park of the same name and was created after processing the mountain rock, along which a section of the central highway now passes. It is undoubtedly an impressive road, but it has a very bad reputation as it is classified as a red road due to its numerous blind and sharp curves and extremely narrow passages. Another dangerous factor is the frequent adverse weather conditions, ranging from torrential rains with associated landslides and rockfalls to earthquakes, as this is an earthquake zone.
Nightmare streets
It falls into the category of nightmare roads the BR-116, in Brazil, which is also called the “Highway of Death” and connects the South American country from north to south on a route of over 4,300 kilometers between Fortaleza and Jaguaräo. In this case, it is one of the main arteries in Brazil, heavily used by heavy vehicles and located on a less resistant surface. Here weather conditions often play an unexpected role and Carioca drivers often have to use all their experience to stay on the right path. In addition, in some places there are attacks by gangs and bandit groups, such as in the far west.
It also deserves an honorable mention Sichuan-Tibet Highway, in China, a road that connects Chendu, the capital of Sichuan Province, with Lhasa in Tibet and passes 14 mountain peaks. One of the most difficult sections consists of 99 hairpin bends that rise to an altitude of 1,200 meters. The same applies to the Dalton Hwy in Alaska 660 kilometers in wild and often frozen landscape (a major risk factor). It is considered dangerous due to the prohibitive weather conditions: here temperatures can drop below -60 degrees Celsius and a problem with the car could be fatal. Better to stay on guard.