The Yungas Road in Bolivia, the “Death Road,” is the most dangerous road in the world on our 2026 list, followed by Highway 1 in Afghanistan and the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan. This list covers 10 extreme roads, from cliff-edge tracks to remote highways, and notes where new tunnels or bypasses have changed the picture. Always check current conditions before you travel.
| # | Road | Country | Main hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yungas Road | Bolivia | Cliffs, narrow lane, fog |
| 2 | Highway 1 (Ring Road) | Afghanistan | Conflict history, rough terrain |
| 3 | Karakoram Highway | Pakistan | Landslides, altitude |
| 4 | Rohtang Pass | India | Snowstorms, avalanches |
| 5 | Kolyma Highway | Russia | Cold, gravel, remoteness |
| 6 | A537 Cat and Fiddle | England | Blind bends, motorcycle crashes |
| 7 | Trollstigen | Norway | Steep hairpins |
| 8 | Stelvio Pass | Italy | Hairpins, drop-offs |
| 9 | Transfagarasan | Romania | Mountain curves, weather |
| 10 | Eyre Highway | Australia | Animals, fatigue, remoteness |
There are roads that are dangerous, and roads that are famous because they are dangerous. Modern engineering has reduced risk in many places, but some of these routes are still where you should think twice before taking the family for a Sunday drive.
1. Yungas Road, Bolivia
The Yungas Road, or Death Road, is a 64-kilometer route linking La Paz with the Yungas region. It was built in the 1930s, partly by Paraguayan prisoners captured in the Chaco War. Some sections are less than 3 meters wide, with a descent of about 3,500 meters and common rain, fog and landslides.
Before Route 3 opened, crash rates ran between 200 and 300 deaths a year. A safer alternative was finished in 2006, and today the old road draws about 25,000 tourists a year, mostly mountain bikers. At least 18 cyclists have died on it since 1998.
2. Highway 1 (Ring Road), Afghanistan
Highway 1 is a 2,200-kilometer ring road connecting Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and other cities. Its Kabul to Jalalabad stretch has long been known as especially dangerous, through a narrow gorge. The road was refurbished in 2003 and the Kabul to Kandahar section was later rebuilt by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Check your government’s travel advice before considering any trip in Afghanistan.
3. Karakoram Highway, Pakistan
Built jointly by China and Pakistan from 1962 to 1979 and opened to the public in 1986, the Karakoram Highway runs about 1,300 kilometers to the Khunjerab Pass, reaching 4,714 meters. About 810 Pakistanis and 200 Chinese workers died building it.
Landslides regularly threaten the road. In January 2010, a massive landslide in the Hunza Valley formed Attabad Lake and closed the highway to through traffic. Locals call it the Friendship Highway, though it is not always friendly to drivers.
4. Rohtang Pass, India
At 3,980 meters, Rohtang Pass links the Kullu Valley with Lahaul and Spiti. Its name literally means “pile of corpses,” and it has a reputation for unpredictable snowstorms and blizzards. It is open from May to November.
The 9-kilometer Atal Tunnel, inaugurated on October 3, 2020, now bypasses the pass. It cuts the Manali to Keylong trip from 5 or 6 hours to about 2 hours, and avoids many avalanche-prone sites. The old pass remains a seasonal route.
5. Kolyma Highway, Russia
The R504 Kolyma Highway in the Russian Far East links Magadan with Nizhny Bestyakh. It was built during the Stalin era by gulag labor, which is why it is called the Road of Bones. Claims that prisoners were buried in the road are widely repeated but have not been documented.
The road is built on permafrost, became a federal road in 2008, and is now a regularly maintained all-weather gravel road. Ewan McGregor rode it for the TV series Long Way Round.
6. A537 Cat and Fiddle Road, England
Part of the A537 between Macclesfield and Buxton is the Cat and Fiddle Road, described as one of the most dangerous roads in Great Britain. It mixes straights with sharp, often blind bends that challenge drivers and motorcyclists. It is popular with motorcyclists who tend to ride it fast, which adds to the risk.
7. Trollstigen, Norway
Trollstigen, the Troll’s Path, climbs a mountainside with eleven hairpin bends on a 10% incline as part of County Road 63. It opened in 1936 after eight years of construction, and about 2,500 vehicles pass on peak-season days. Vehicles longer than 12.4 meters are barred. The season normally runs from mid-May to October, and it closes in late autumn and winter.
8. Stelvio Pass, Italy
The Stelvio Pass climbs to 2,757 meters (9,045 feet), the highest paved pass in the Eastern Alps. The Austrian state built the road between 1820 and 1825. It is open from May through November, with a famous wall of hairpin bends and steep drop-offs.
9. Transfagarasan, Romania
Built between 1970 and 1974 under Nicolae Ceausescu as a military route, the Transfagarasan (DN7C) is a 90-kilometer paved road across the Southern Carpathians. It is the second-highest paved road in Romania after the Transalpina. Its sweeping curves and viaducts make it a favorite of drivers, but mountain weather makes it a real risk.
10. Eyre Highway, Australia
The Eyre Highway is a 1,664-kilometer road across the Nullarbor Plain between Western Australia and South Australia. Wildlife, such as kangaroos, emus and camels, and driver fatigue are the main threats, especially at dawn and dusk. Even so, in 2011 the Australian Automobile Association considered it among the lowest-risk highways in the country by casualty crashes per length of road.
FAQ
What is the most dangerous road in the world?
The Yungas Road in Bolivia, known as the Death Road, is widely considered the most dangerous. Before the Route 3 bypass was finished, its crash rate ran between 200 and 300 deaths a year.
Is the Death Road still dangerous?
It is now largely a cycling and tourist route, drawing about 25,000 visitors a year. At least 18 cyclists have died there since 1998, and traffic mostly uses Route 3 instead.
Is Rohtang Pass still the main route to Lahaul and Spiti?
The Atal Tunnel, inaugurated on October 3, 2020, now bypasses the Rohtang Pass between Manali and Keylong, cutting 3 to 4 hours off the trip.
Is the Eyre Highway really dangerous?
It is long, remote and prone to animal strikes and driver fatigue, but in 2011 the Australian Automobile Association rated it among the lowest-risk highways in the country by casualty crashes per length of road.
Which road has the most hairpin bends?
The Stelvio Pass in Italy is famous for them, with a tangle of hairpins on both sides of a pass at 2,757 meters. It is usually open from May through November.
How did you rank these roads?
We ranked them by hazard and current danger, using reported crash history, terrain and conditions. It is our editorial judgment, and conditions change with weather and road works.
How we put this list together
We checked road histories, lengths, elevations and recent changes such as the Atal Tunnel. The order is our own judgment of hazard and not a fatality statistic.
Last updated: October 2026.
