Lot’s of people like to embark on Autumn road trips in order to take advantage of cheaper hotel rates and a less maddening amount of traffic. Here’s a guide to some of America’s most dangerous roads, as prepared by the highway gurus at Towing Chicago, so you can make sure that you’re extra careful in case you find yourself driving on one of the below ominous stretches of pavement.
California’s State Route 138
Known as Death Road, Highway 138 stretches from the mountains of Interstate 15 through the San Gabriel Mountains to Palmdale. The majority of its stretch is on a twisting, non divided 1 lane highway with tiny narrow shoulders and huge drop offs. It’s infamous for head on collisions – leading us to recommend to use turnout areas to allow faster traveling cars to safely move past you.
Colorado’s Highway 550
Called the Million Dollar Highway and constructed during the late 19th century, this 25 mile road leads up from Ouray to the top of the San Juan Mountains Red Mountain Pass. It carries huge inclines, hairpin turns, steep drop offs, and thin nails – all with minimal guardrails or safety shoulders. Beginning in October, snow and avalanches add another level of risk to traversing this highway. We recommend using low gears when descending this steep mountainous road while continually braking your engine to keep your car moving slowly, steadily, and safely,
Florida’s U.S. Highway 1
This may well be the USA’s most dangerous road. Moving across the east coast of Florida with beautiful views of 13 separate counties throughout the Florida Keys, U.S. Highway 1 has been home to over 1000 deaths. We stress the importance of paying close attention to the road rather than the enchantingly beautiful scenery, as by paying attention to ocean views, you’re being a distracted and dangerous driver. Instead, wait until you see an official scenic lookout areas where you can park and take in the view safely.
Montana’s Highway 2
This country road runs from North Dakota to Iowa is pretty desolate, but still very dangerous. Since it’s usually so empty, drivers usually drive extra fast on it – and since it’s in the middle of nowhere, if there’s an accident, ambulances simply won’t arrive for quite a long time, over an hour on average actually. When driving on these visually blighted and empty highways, utilize your car’s cruise control at a safe speed and don’t let the landscape hypnotize you out of your driver’s alertness.