<i></i> <i></i> <i></i> 1<p>The world has now reached the point where normality is a boring, old trend that no one digs anymore. Whether the throes of daily life, jobs or relationships, everyone wishes for an adrenaline filled spark that kicks things up a notch. There exist countless songs that reinforce the concept that to feel alive, you must taste the thrill of being on death’s edge and they exist for the very reason of this being how we feel. We seek adrenaline as the last widely accepted legal drug that releases endorphins in our body to feel that special high that is induced by indulging in dangerous, death defying acts.</p> <p>And perhaps the most out going, fun and adventurous of these methods is the travelling on desolate, dangerous roads that require top notch concentration to cross and reach the end without crashing. As a thrill, motorists embrace these roads all over the world on 4×4 and bikes alike and conquer these prized tracks as popular tourist attractions. Whether it is the terrain, or the ancient nature of these tracks that make them attractive to us, one thing remains, they are amiable in all the wrong ways.</p> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-131.jpeg"/>shutterstock.com <p>So today we discuss 15 of these death defying but life taking tracks from around the world that have piqued motorists interest from all over. Whether off-road, metaled or mountain tracks, these roads are responsible of taking countless lives over the years but that is no reason to put off the scores of motorists who wish to scale these tracks for reasons known to them only. Call it wronged obsession but read on, and find out the 15 deathly tracks that are a must travel in your life;</p> <h2>Atlanterhavsein – Norway</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-132.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>The Atlanterhavesin, locally known as the Atlantic ocean road, is situated in Norway. While the view is undeniably breathtaking, it comes at the cost of a significantly treacherous road ahead. The road is actually built on a collection of small islands, each stretch of road goes on for roughly 5 miles. What this means is that a small stumble on the road will land you straight into the water. Here’s to hoping that you are a better swimmer than you are a driver! In spite of the dangers it poses, this beautiful place is still recognised as one of the best tourist spots when it comes to taking a road trip.</p> <h2>Stelvio Pass – Italy</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-133.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>The breathtaking beauty of the Stelvio Pass is testament to the fact that if you are in Italy, it is impossible to not be surrounded by beautiful things. However, to enjoy all the magnificent that Italy has to offer, you need to get out alive and one way to do that would be to avoid Stelvio pass completely. This 15 mile road has hellish turns that are a staggering 48 in number. Not only is the number of turns immense, but they also require the drivers to pull off driving around 180-degree turns. This road is also going to test your acrophobia, as at one point, this pass is 9000 feet stretching upwards. Another testament to how dangerous this road really is can be the fact that it is open only from June to September, to ensure that drivers only use this road in the best possible weather conditions.</p> <h2>Sichuan-Tibet Highway – China</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-134.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>The Sichaun-Tibet Highway in China is another road that tops the danger list when it comes to roads. While several highways seem terrifying, the Sichuan-Tibet highway has the statistics to back it up. This highway is responsible for killing 7,500 out of every 100,000 people that step onto it. This number seems even higher considering that the road is just 2,142 km long. This already treacherous road is also not paved, meaning that during rain, cars are prone to getting stuck in the mud for weeks at a time! To top it all off, this highway is also prone to avalanches, rock slides and other hazardous conditions.</p> <h2>Leh Manali Highway – Northern India</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-135.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>If you are afraid of heights, chances are the Leh Manali Highway is not going to be a good fit for you. The highest highway in the world, it stretches a massive 11,578 feet upwards. This is not one road you can afford to make a mistake on. What makes this road even more terrifying is the fact that you are essentially driving on crumbling dirt. Tourists often travel to this road, unaware of the perils it poses.</p> <h2>James Dalton Highway – North Alaska</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-136.jpeg"/>Wikimedia <p>If you are just starting out in the world of driving, you might want to steer clear of this treacherous road. James Dalton Highway in Northern Alaska is a challenge even the most seasoned drivers think twice before undertaking. This road is a constant challenge to drivers, making it evident very early on that if your vehicle doesn’t have what it takes to hold on to itself in snowy weather conditions, you are in for a rough drive indeed. This road is as immense as it is treacherous, stretching over a massive 415 miles.The highway in question is far away from civilization, with the main benefactors of this long road being oil trucks.</p> <h2>Karnali Highway – Nepal</h2> <p> The Karnali Highway – difficult, risky, dangerous but necessary – an access to better living for an entire region that had been living in deprivation for ages! – Driver's say: "Praying God keeps the journey on. It's the almighty's decision. It's on their hands." From the series: the #Karnali #Highway | #kalikot #roads #ruralroad #dangerous #worldsmostdangerousroad @natgeotravel #travelnepal #traveler #nepal #karnalihighway #roadtorara #rara @greathimalayatrails #kaushalsapkotaphotography #canon #rebelt1i #difficult #risky #important #himalayanroads #gravel #faith #om #god #life #photojournalism</p> <p>A post shared by Kaushal Raj Sapkota (@sapkota.kaushal) on Mar 3, 2016 at 1:51am PST</p> <p></p> <p>This road is nothing short of a nightmare for anyone who has even the slightest hint of claustrophobia running in their veins. Have you seen how narrow these roads look, even for the smallest scooters? We can’t even imagine a big car, trying to wiggle it’s way through these roads! This 155 mile long road in Nepal leads to 50 deaths every single year. Travelling on this road can’t even be avoided because it is an integral part of travel for people living in Surkhet who depend greatly on the nearby connecting town of Jumla for their survival. If there are ever any disruptions in travel between the two towns, people suffer greatly. For instance, the 2010 monsoon season that led to the highway closing down caused several people in Surkhet to die of starvation.</p> <h2>Skippers Canyon – New Zealand</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-137.jpeg"/>shutterstock <p>While its name makes it sound like a fun stroll in the park Skippers Canyon is as lethal as it’s name is cute. This narrow road can pose a challenge to even the most experienced drivers out there. While the cliffs surrounding this road are a sight for sore eyes, they are also incredibly dangerous as one wrong move can have you tumbling to your death down the canyon. How dangerous the road is can be judged from the fact that car rental companies don’t insure their cars if you’re travelling on it!</p> <h2>Commonwealth Avenue – Philippines</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-138.jpeg"/>Wikimedia <p>While people may argue that this road is not scary enough to be a part of this list, there are many reasons that have led local drivers to stay as far away from it as possible. The Commonwealth Avenue in Philippines is a meagre 7.5 miles long, however, it is 18 lanes wide. This disproportionality in size leads to a lot of accidents based on confusion. To make matters worse, this road also receives a lot of foot traffic with pedestrians running around the already busy road, creating a risk of fatal injury. Over the time period of an year, thousands of people die as a result of road accidents with overcrowding being one of the most common reasons.</p> <h2>Eshima Ohashi Bridge – Japan</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-139.jpeg"/>imgur <p>While it might seem like a crazy rollercoaster ride, this picture actually shows the Eshima Ohashi bridge in Japan. While it stretches for only a single mile, it still remains worthy of being on the top dangerous roads list. With a gradient of 5.1% on one side and 6.1 % on the other, this is one of the steepest bridges in the world. However, this treacherous bridge was not built without a purpose. The plan behind making this bridge was to ensure that fishing boats would be able to pass underneath without impacting traffic in a bad way. This Japanese bridge can be found in Japan and is used to connect the cities of Matsue and Sakaiminato.</p> <h2>North Yungas Road – Bolivia</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-140.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>This highway, aptly named the Death Road, truly deserves to be on this list. This lengthy road starts out in the Bolivian capital of La Paz and leads on into the town of Chulumani, making this road 40 miles long. Reportedly, a staggeringly high 200-300 people die each year from accidents on this road. In 1995, North Yungas Road was dubbed the most dangerous road in the whole world by the Inter American Development Bank. Reasons for this decision ran along the lines of the facts that the rain and fog, coupled with the rock falls during summer made this a dangerous road to travel on. This is also the only road in the entire Bolivia where drivers are made to drive on the left side of the road which makes matters even more confusing.</p> <h2>BR-116 – Brazil</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-141.jpeg"/>wikimedia <p>BR-16, the infamous highway of death, was a definite winner for a spot on this list. As the second largest road of Brazil, it stretches over a massive 2,200 miles. When it comes to reasons behind why this road is as dangerous as it is, neglect seems to come out as the top factor. This expansive road is littered with potholes, and the entire highway is poorly maintained. The sides of this road are also littered with thieves and a lot of people are hassled out of their cars here.</p> <h2>Kabul-Jalalabad road – Afghanistan</h2> <p><img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-142.jpeg"/></p> <p> </p> <p>wikimedia</p> <p>As to why the Kabul to Jalalabad road in Afghanistan is as dangerous as it is, there are a few reasons that come into play. This road is a major hub of terrorist violence but that alone is not what makes it one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Shopkeepers on the side of this road say about the violence occurring on this road that while terrorist induced fights only last for a few days, car crashes can be heard all the time. Overspeeding is a serious problem here with people making sharp turns that endanger not only them, but also incoming cars. The number of fatalities is so high here that people have stopped keeping track.</p> <h2>Guoliang Tunnel – China</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-143.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>This tunnel is a popular tourist destination, meaning that most people travel here on foot, making it relatively safer. This miraculous road was actually created by 13 villagers, all of which resided in Taigang Mountains and needed a tunnel that connected them to the outside world. While it took five years to create, this tunnel is 0,75 miles long, as well as 13 feet wide and 16 feet tall. While people still drive on this road, it isn’t as common anymore after this road was dubbed as the “Road that tolerates no mistakes”. This road becomes even harder to drive on when it is wet, not only because it is so narrow, but also due to the lack of guardrails.</p> <h2>Trollstigen road – Norway</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-144.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>This road can be the ultimate test of your smooth turning skills. Chances are, if you can safely maneuver your way through Trollstigen road, you have what it takes to become a professional race driver. Located in Rauma, Norway, this strip of concrete is named “The Troll Ladder”, which makes for a great nickname! Moving on to why the road is as dangerous as it is, the incline on this road is 9%, making the turns sharper than ever. The narrow roads were often tried to widen, but on account of it being located alongside a mountain, this could never be accomplished.</p> <h2>Zoji Pass – India</h2> <img src="https://cdnone.netlify.com/db/2017/10/word-image-145.jpeg"/>Shutterstock <p>If you are scared of heights, the Zoji Pass is a definite no for you. Around 3,528 miles above sea level, this road is not for the faint hearted. Located in India, this 5.6 mile road connects the towns of Ladakh and Kashmir. On account of its location, it is closed down in winter because it is impossible to drive through in harsh weather conditions. However, in spite of the great danger it poses, it is supposedly the best view you can get of the Himalayas, making it all seem worth it.</p> <i></i>