The USA’s most dangerous roads
A road’s danger rating is based on a number of things. Some people who meet those people think of winding mountain roads with few guardrails and speed demons flying around the bend. Another one might surprise you because it’s a big highway that you’ve probably driven on vacation before.
There are many things that can go into figuring out which US roads are the most dangerous. Blind spots, speeds, the number of crashes, and even the weather can be used.
Here are some roads that get a lot of traffic and have a lot of crashes, blind turns, and other problems. This will help you plan your next safe drive.
Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway (Colorado State Highway 550)
Some of the most beautiful views in the country can be seen from the winding highway, which also has some of the most dangerous turns without guardrails.
The Million Dollar Highway has some amazing views as it winds through Red Mountain Pass in the San Juan Mountains. The highway is really different, and sometimes scary, because it goes up 11,000 feet above sea level and has hills and hairpin turns. The highway got its name from the scary parts of it, or so the story goes. A woman is said to have driven the road and said she would need to be paid a million dollars to do it again.
The rough weather, sharp turns, close rock edges, and lack of guardrails along the 25-mile stretch have given it a good name. There’s a good reason why some people have called the two-lane road the Highway to Hell.
Maui, Hawaii: Road to Hana
The island of Maui, Hawaii, has one of the most dangerous roads in the country. It’s so bad that the local authorities advise folks to take a tour instead of driving it themselves.
One of the most dangerous roads in the country is on the island of Maui in Hawaii. The traffic is so bad that the government tells people to take a tour instead of driving themselves.
Not all of the worst roads in the U.S. are in the states that are next to each other. Maui’s road to Hana is thought to be one of the ten worst in the country. It does feel like an island here, but the road isn’t easy. There are 59 small bridges and 620 turns and curves ahead of you. Even though the path is only 52 miles, most people need two to four hours to safely complete it. Still, a lot of people make the drive because the road has such beautiful views the whole way. The Hawaii Tourism Authority says that instead of driving yourself, you should take the drive with a tour company.
Florida and the Overseas Highway (Route 1)
The Overseas Highway includes the beautiful but terrifying Seven Mile Bridge. Some days, it’s stunningly quiet. Other days, it’s the most dangerous stretch in Florida.
The Seven Mile Bridge is part of the Overseas Highway. It is both beautiful and scary. A lot of the time, it’s amazingly quiet. There are times when it’s the most dangerous stretch of road in Florida.
People think Route 1 is an easy drive because it goes straight up the eastern coast. The beautiful highway with its many bridges and narrow strips can easily take people’s attention away from the road. As of now, Florida has not made it illegal to use a hand-held phone while driving. It’s easy to see how dangerous the Overseas Highway is when it comes to the two lanes that connect the island of Florida to the Florida Keys.
There are stunning views of both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean along the 113-mile stretch of highway. But those holes in the road, drivers who aren’t paying attention, and the lack of sides kill a lot of people every year. The highway has been the site of more deadly accidents than almost any other road in the country, making it the second most dangerous of all on the list. This is especially important for people on bikes or foot who get stuck in traffic.
I-4 — The South
Florida doesn’t have any rules against using a personal device while driving, which makes the roads there more dangerous. The stretch of I-4 that connects Tampa to Daytona Beach, Florida, saw 150 deaths from 2016 to 2019. A 132-mile stretch of the motorway goes through Orlando. The highway is probably more dangerous there because of all the tourists. This stretch of highway is very dangerous because of rental cars that people aren’t used to, different rules, people using handheld devices, and other things.
South Carolina on U.S. Route 17
Between 2015 and 2017, more than 80 people died in car accidents on the highway that connects Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Along the coast, U.S. Route 17 goes through towns by the water and through woods and marshes. The number of accidents here may change a lot in the summer, when a lot of people come to the area. Many road dangers can be found along the way because of the blind turns, narrow lanes, and large number of animals.
Texas I-45
Driving through big cities may not seem so terrible. But I-45 through Dallas is one of the most dangerous roads in America.
It might not seem so bad to drive through big towns. But I-45 in Dallas is one of the most dangerous roads in the US.
Of course, Texas would be on this list! Interstate 45, the highway that runs between Galveston and Dallas, is one of the most crowded and dangerous roads in the country. 56 people die every year on I-45, which is about one death for every 100 miles. Some lists put this as the most dangerous road in the country, while others have a higher fear factor. The terrain isn’t really what makes this one so bad. It’s more about how angry and lazy drivers are on the road, which makes for a dangerous mix.
I-10 — In Arizona
More than 500 people died in a six-year period along the Arizona stretch of Interstate 10. Natalia Bratslavsky, Shutterstock
I-10 in Arizona killed more than 500 people over the course of six years. Photo by Natalia Bratslavsky on Shutterstock
From Jacksonville, Florida, to Santa Monica, California, I-10 goes all the way across the United States. A lot of the highway goes through rich, green places, like Louisiana and Mississippi. However, the part that goes through Arizona is dry and empty. People have said that this 300-mile stretch of the highway is the most dangerous. A big part of that danger comes from the long stretches of desert it goes through. People often drive this part of the highway as if it were the Autobahn in Europe, where there are no speed limits. But there are speed limits, and people don’t follow them. People have been known to drive very fast, pass other cars without looking, lose focus, and be hostile. Over 500 people died along this stretch over the course of six years.
The North Carolina story “Tail of the Dragon”
This is one of the most risky roads in the country. It’s only 11 miles long, going from North Carolina Route 28 to US Route 129 at the Tabcat Creek Bridge in Tennessee. Why? People who “need to speed” are drawn to the 318 turns by bikers, sports car fans, and others. One person dies on this road every year on average, but some years, like 2019, there may be as many as 100 crashes, most of which are motorcycles and some of which are fatal. The road does, however, have beautiful views, so thrill-seekers come for the beauty and the challenge.
Route 93 around Pikes Peak in Colorado
One of the most visited mountain peaks in America, Pikes Peak may be reached by the incredibly treacherous Pikes Peak Highway, one of the worst in the country.
The very dangerous Pikes Peak Highway is one of the worst in the country and leads to one of the most popular mountain peaks in the United States.
There is a 7% grade on this Colorado road that is only 19 miles long. AAA says that the Pikes Peak Highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the county, and this grade is a big reason why. Even though the road is beautiful and has amazing views, the sharp turns often catch drivers off guard, especially those who are going too fast. Not only is it very dangerous for nonmotorized transit, but there were more than 1,100 accidents involving walkers, cyclists, runners, and other people in just five years.
Florida’s I-95
It goes from Miami, Florida, all the way up through Maine to the border with Canada. At 1,919 miles, I-95 is one of the longest roads in the country. In Florida, the highway goes along the east coast, which is a very busy area of the state. This is where the road’s first strike happens. Second, the highway has a lot of turns and curves, and people are often confused by traffic, road signs, and other things. The state has a lot of hurricanes and tropical storms, which doesn’t make it better. The fact that the roads are slippery because of the high humidity makes things even worse. Lastly, a lot of the people who drive on this part of 95 don’t know how the roads and driving are done in this part of the state, which makes this area more accident-prone.
I-95 goes through Rhode Island.
The Blue Ridge Parkway offers some of the most amazing views on the East Coast, but the highway has a huge number of accidents every year.
I-95 is one of the longest roads in the United States, so it’s not a big surprise that AAA and other guides have named two parts of it the most dangerous roads in the country. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union. Its long highway has poorly built exit ramps with sharp, sudden curves and bad signage, which together kill several people every year.
In Virginia, the Blue Ridge Parkway
Some of the most beautiful views on the East Coast can be found on the Blue Ridge Parkway. However, every year a huge number of crashes happen on the highway.
The Blue Ridge Parkway has a lot of beautiful views. It starts in the south at U.S. Route 441 between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Shenandoah National Park and goes north to that park. In Virginia, though, it’s a very dangerous road. This road has tight turns and steep drops that catch cars off guard. Just in 2019, there were 349 accidents, ranging from minor collisions to deadly ones.
Alaska’s James Dalton Highway
Alaska is the only other state that isn’t connected to any other state. It also has a dangerous highway. There are 414 miles on the James Dalton Highway, which goes from Fairbanks to Deadhorse, which is on the Arctic Ocean. Many parts of the road were built in 1974 and are “paved” with gravel and dirt. At first, the road was used by the oil business. It went through forests, up and down steep hills, across tundra, and along the Yukon River. People come to the road because it has amazing views of the woods. A 240-mile stretch of the road, on the other hand, only has three towns. This remote part of the show is especially dangerous because it could leave cars stuck for hours or even days. The road was even shown on the TV show “Ice Road Truckers” because of its crazy-scary turns, steep hills, and winter-unsafe conditions.
Montana Highway 2 goes through Montana.
People who like driving on open roads often enjoy the beautiful highways that run through Montana. Montana is the eighth smallest state in terms of population, and its roads aren’t used as much as many others in the US. This means that people like to drive like they’re on the European Autobahn on the long stretches of empty highway. Montana Highway 2 can quickly turn from a nice drive to a dangerous one, though. The highway goes from east to west across the state. Its speed limit of 70 miles per hour is often broken. If you’re in an accident on this winding highway, it will take at least 45 minutes to get to the nearest emergency medical services.
