There are difficult paths and roads in every corner of the globe. Hairpin curves, ravines, potholes, sand, gravel, loneliness, and other perils test the driver and vehicle to their limits.
Furthermore, the more cars on the road, the more challenges truckers may have while transporting merchandise close and distant. With that being said, we’re here to share with you the most dangerous roads in the world for truck drivers. If you think truck driver jobs are easy, then think again after reading this post!
1. Yungas Road/Bolivia
Until 2006, when an alternative, continuously asphalted stretch of the Ruta Nacional 3 was opened for the northern section of the highway, Yungas Road in Bolivia, also known as Death Road, was at the top of the list of the world’s most dangerous roads, with an estimated 200 to 300 people killed in traffic accidents each year.
The Yungas Road connects the highlands capital of La Paz with the north-eastern rainforest town of Coroico. The route falls from 4,670 meters at the La Cumbre Pass to 1,200 meters during an 80-kilometre stretch, passing through the major climate zones of South America.
In Bolivia, driving on the right is the norm, but on high-risk mountain roads, drivers turn to the left because they are better positioned to gauge the road edge from the left of the vehicle. The number of deadly traffic accidents has decreased dramatically since Death Road was mostly left to thrill-seeking mountain bikers and visitors.
2. James Dalton Highway/Alaska
It’s pointless to be concerned about other road users on Alaska’s James Dalton Highway. The route starts north of Fairbanks and ends 666 kilometres later in Deadhorse, Alaska, near the Prudhoe Bay oil fields on the Arctic Ocean’s shore.
The road’s purpose is to deliver supplies to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, as well as oil workers and the area’s few permanent populations. The motorway enters the Arctic Circle at Milepost 115. Extreme winter temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius, a lot of ice, and other severe weather events like floods and snowstorms all leave their mark on the road.
If a vehicle breaks down on the ice road, it can only hope for help from one of the 250 or so trucks that pass through on a typical day during the high winter season. In the summer, there is much less traffic. This route is one of the most perilous in the world due to the cold and solitude.
3. Karakorum Highway/China-Pakistan
If you’re seeking adventure, the Karakorum (or Karakoram) Highway is the place to go. Western China and northwest Pakistan are linked by this bridge. Despite the fact that it is renowned as a “Friendship Highway,” it is one of the world’s most dangerous highways. The border crossing is located at 4,693 meters above sea level. The highest point on any asphalt highway in the world is the Khunjerab Pass.
By making the mountain route accessible all year, even for huge trucks, the governments hoped to promote trade. Extreme weather, on the other hand, complicates the situation. Even in Tashkurgan, China, 120 kilometres away and 1,500 meters lower, temperatures can plummet to minus 30 to 40 degrees Celsius in the winter.
4. Eyre Highway/Australia
Heavy truck drivers in Australia are accustomed to dealing with isolation and boredom on the road. They get plenty of practice on the Eyre Highway, in particular. It is the world’s longest straight piece of road, stretching 1,675 kilometres between Port Augusta in the south to Norseman in the west.
Even if accidents caused by driving errors such as microsleep can be avoided, there are still other dangers to be aware of: kangaroos, emus, and camels on the road routinely cause major traffic accidents, particularly in the evening and early morning hours.
5. N6/Algeria
The N6 stretches for around 2,000 kilometres through Algeria, from north to south. The roadway begins with a modest ascent in the Mediterranean port city of Oran. However, it’s easy to imagine the unfriendly combination of dust, heat, and wind that follows after traversing the 2,300-meter-high Atlas Mountains, with their passes, ravines, and hairpin curves. The road through the Tanezrouft region becomes an unregistered footpath between Reggane and the Mali border. As a result, this path through the Sahara blends in seamlessly with the surrounding desert.
Here, GPS navigation, as well as heating for the cold evenings, air conditioning for daily temperatures of up to 60 degrees Celsius, the obligatory spare tires, and calm nerves, are all strongly suggested. This path has been used by camel caravans of travelling merchants since the Middle Ages. It is now one of the world’s most perilous highways, posing a challenge to both experienced drivers and adventurous tourists
