India's Zoji La Highway Among World's Most Dangerous Roads

[kakatiya]

BANGALORE: Roads are the lifeline of all the people residing in different corners of the world. But, at times this lifeline itself that proves deadly to travel. 

According to the World Health Organization, about 1.3 million people die in traffic accidents every year and have declared 2011-2021, "A decade of action for road safety." 

 

The Widow-Maker, United Kingdom:

Death rating: 6/10

Located in England's Peak District, the Widow-Maker also known as the A537 is regarded as the most dangerous road in the United Kingdom and also in the world. 

Though dangerous, the road is quite popular with motorcyclists who are on the look out to enjoy the open space of the English countryside, and this often leads to a "racetrack mentality" along the route. 

The tight bends, steep drops, and stone walls that line the A537 proved hazardous if one is going too fast, making the pastoral highway more dangerous than it initially appears.

As per the UK's Road Safety Foundation, between the year 2006 and 2008, there were 34 fatalities on the seven-mile stretch of road and 44 serious or fatal 

[kakatiya]

India's Zoji La Highway Among World's Most Dangerous Roads

Guoliang Tunnel in the Taihang Mountains, China :
Death rating: 6/10

Located in the Taihang Mountains inside the Hunan Province of China, Guoliang Tunnel is one of the most dangerous roads in the world.

Local villagers built this mountain road in 1972 to connect to the other parts of the country and it took 5 years to finish. On 1 May 1977, the tunnel was opened to traffic. This long tunnel is almost a mile long, 16 feet tall and 13 feet wide.

This tunnel has become a popular tourist attraction in China as it has many windows looking out over the valley.

The tunnel is scary with 30 windows of various sizes and shapes and it has been dubbed as the road that does not tolerate any mistakes. This mountain carved tunnel runs 1,200 meters long, 5 meters high and 4 meters wide.

The Road From Jalalabad to Kabul, Afghanistan :
Death rating: 9.5/10

The 65-km stretch, from Jalalabad to Kabul because of the many traffic accidents is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world.

It is one of the riskiest roads on earth as it gives the driver a true test of the vehicle; the road abounds in twists and turns with wheels sometimes hanging above the abyss. 

The difference in altitude between Kabul and Jalabad is approximately 1200 m, and the road passes through some extremely mountainous terrain. 

Ensuring an alignment for the road that fits with the existing alignment and structures whilst maintaining a reasonable standard throughout remains one of the main technical challenges for the design team.

 

[Captain_nd_Coke]

:3D_Smiles_38:  widow maker aa rofl 

[kakatiya]

India's Zoji La Highway Among World's Most Dangerous Roads

The Zoji La, India :
Death rating: 7/10

A mountain road between Kashmir and Ladakh, The Zozila (also known as Zojila or Zoji La) is one of the important mountain passes in India located at an elevation of 11,575 ft (3,528 meters) above the sea level. 

This nine-kilometer stretch of road is a lifeline that keeps the people of Ladakh in touch with the rest of the world, although it's often cut off by heavy snow in winter. As such, it is often closed during winter. 

This road is extremely narrow and is named as the dangerous road in India. 

It is also dubbed as one of the most dangerous passes in the world not just because of its inherent condition but because of the vicious winds and heavy snowfall that often affect the region.

The Stelvio Pass, Italy :
Death rating: 1/10

Originally built between 1820 and 1825 by the Austrian Empire, the Stelvio Pass connects the Valtellina with the upper Adige valley and Merano and covers a climb of 1871 meters (about 1.16 miles).

The Stelvio has been the scene of some major military and sporting events that have gone down in Italian history.

The road south from Davos in Switzerland into northern Italy's Stelvio National Park is one such route, boasting a symphony of pleasures for all five senses.

Taste and smell the freshness of the alpine air, admire the breath-taking views across the second-highest mountain pass in Europe.

The road gets very narrow at some places and is very steep at some points.

 

[kakatiya]

Karakoram Highway, Pakistan:
Death rating: 7.5/10

The Karakoram Highway (also known informally as the KKH) is said to be the highest paved international road in the world, but at its peak, at the China-Pakistan border, it is only paved on the Chinese side.
 

The road is in dreadful condition and requires strong nerves to negotiate it. China took 27 years to build this so called 'Friendship Highway' though the Karakoram mountain range to link Pakistan with China. 

Any barriers along the edge afford little more than token protection; large stretches should be taken at a snail's pace and a lookout kept for vehicles coming from the opposite direction.

The Highway of Death, Iraq:
Death rating: 8/10

Officially known as Highway 80, The Highway of Death, is an apocalyptic-looking six-lane stretch of road that runs from Kuwait City to Basra and remains in history as one of the most infamous locations of the Gulf War.

There are some 2,700 vehiclesâÂÂtanks, trucks and buses-littered across both sides of the road all of which were bombed by U.S. aircraft during Operation Desert Storm. 

Though the exact death toll of incident remains controversial to this day, few actually venture in the area, since IEDs (improvised explosive devices) is stick around virtually everywhere.