Most Dangerous Road You've Ever Ridden

[onmyrt]

What's the most dangerous/scariest road you’ve ever ridden

 

Here's mine.

 

Date:

Sunday, 31 August 2008

 

State:

Colorado.

 

Nearest City/Town:

Ouray.

 

Road:

Hwy 550, the Million Dollar Highway.

 

Direction of Travel:

South.

 

Weather Conditions:

Light to heavy rain, temperature range 47 / 59.

 

Road Conditions:

Wet, but clear of debris.

 

What made it scary?

Riding South, you're on the outside of the road, nearest the edge.

Tight twisties, 10 MPH signs mean 10 MPH!

Much of the road has no barrier of any kind and very little shoulder.

The scenery is breathtaking, but, the slightest mistake could be your last.

[Tony_K]

Interesting post.

 

My take is there are no dangerous roads at least not in North America.

 

A roadway can't inherently be dangerous. The conditons surrounding it can be.

Weather, surface conditons, actual missing road, obstacles, other folks using said road and your own user error... you get my point, it's just not the road that is dangerous.

 

It's the conditions facing you on the road that pose the dangers.

 

 

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

Pick any SF surface street on my commute.

[bobbybob]

What's the most dangerous/scariest road you’ve ever ridden

 

Here's mine.

 

Date:

Sunday, 31 August 2008

 

State:

Colorado.

 

Nearest City/Town:

Ouray.

 

Road:

Hwy 550, the Million Dollar Highway.

 

Direction of Travel:

South.

 

Weather Conditions:

Light to heavy rain, temperature range 47 / 59.

 

Road Conditions:

Wet, but clear of debris.

 

What made it scary?

Riding South, you're on the outside of the road, nearest the edge.

Tight twisties, 10 MPH signs mean 10 MPH!

Much of the road has no barrier of any kind and very little shoulder.

The scenery is breathtaking, but, the slightest mistake could be your last.

 

 

OK--you win. I just "drove" it using Google Earth--guess what? There was a huge avalanche completely covering the road a few miles south of Ouray! Cool. What a majestic road--gotta ride it some day. You sure don't get any idea of what it would be like looking at Garmin Mapsource!!

 

(or maybe that was an avalanche "tunnel"?)

[bobbybob]

Interesting post.

 

My take is there are no dangerous roads at least not in North America.

 

A roadway can't inherently be dangerous. The conditons surrounding it can be.

Weather, surface conditons, actual missing road, obstacles, other folks using said road and your own user error... you get my point, it's just not the road that is dangerous.

 

It's the conditions facing you on the road that pose the dangers.

 

 

 

It seems to me that a smooth surface road, under perfect weather conditions and no obstacles of any kind, that hugs a cliff with no barriers could be considered "dangerous"...or maybe you'd prefer the adjective "risky". Yes--maybe that's it--"risky roads". The OP also used the term "scariest" so I suppose a road can be "scary", even if it's not particularly "risky". Scary is probably fun, too.

[motorman587]

The "Haul Road" in Alaska............

[Paul Mihalka]

Well, I did the first 30 years of my riding in South America, a lot in the Andes mountains in Venezuela and Colombia. Guard rails not invented yet, no road markings, curve warnings, painted lines or anything like that. Truck drivers don't seem to know left from right. Pavement from terrible to acceptable. I didn't see anything like that yet in the linked 48 states. But they are as dangerous or as safe as you make them.

But it sure was good training!

[russell_bynum]

What's the most dangerous/scariest road you’ve ever ridden

 

Here's mine.

 

Date:

Sunday, 31 August 2008

 

State:

Colorado.

 

Nearest City/Town:

Ouray.

 

Road:

Hwy 550, the Million Dollar Highway.

 

Direction of Travel:

South.

 

Weather Conditions:

Light to heavy rain, temperature range 47 / 59.

 

Road Conditions:

Wet, but clear of debris.

 

What made it scary?

Riding South, you're on the outside of the road, nearest the edge.

Tight twisties, 10 MPH signs mean 10 MPH!

Much of the road has no barrier of any kind and very little shoulder.

The scenery is breathtaking, but, the slightest mistake could be your last.

 

It's funny...I've been on that road probably a half-dozen times and it's never stuck me as all that dangerous. I wouldn't want to do it in the snow, but otherwise, it seemed to be really well constructed and the turns were well marked. We came down that stretch of road in a light rain last year on the dualsports, running like a bunch of SuperMoto racers.

 

Monarch pass in a heavy thunderstorm at night was a bit dicey.

 

Probably the most dangerous road I've ridden is Ortega Highway (CA-74) between Lake Elsinore and San Juan Capistrano on any weekend. The road itself isn't such a big deal, but I have yet to take that road on a weekend and not see at least 3 vehicles cut across the oncomming lane around a blind corner, or vehicles making passes around blind corners. It's no big deal during commute time, but when the weekend traffic hits, it can be pretty scary.

[SweetP]

France's Highway D908 from La Foux d'Allos to the Col d'Allos, alt. 2250 meters, in April, with wind and temps around 5° C. Only about 10kms but mostly either dirt or really crappy hard surface, one lane, no signage or guard rails except on the bridges. Only met one other vehicle, a logging truck!

 

[AZKomet]

Highway (yeah right) 34 Costa Rica

 

Mekong River access road Vientiane Laos into Mekong Knong Khai

 

Travel Route from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cambodia

 

99th Ave between Glendale Rd and Van Buren St. once was deemed one of the deadliest highways in U.S.

[Whip]

OK--you win. I just "drove" it using Google Earth--guess what? There was a huge avalanche completely covering the road a few miles south of Ouray! Cool. What a majestic road--gotta ride it some day. You sure don't get any idea of what it would be like looking at Garmin Mapsource!!

 

(or maybe that was an avalanche "tunnel"?)

 

Prolly the tunnel

 

Headin North on a nice day..

 

[onmyrt]

Great view of what we rode on Sunday, except of course, we were on the other side of the road heading South.

 

My wife (pillion) told me later that day that she had her eyes closed most of the way.

 

Thanks for sharing that shot.

[Lynn]

The scariest road I drive isn't a road. It is if I am going to meet my husband after work and have to drive through his school's parking lot. The road surface is bad, the kids are wandering around in a fog of teenage hormones, some of the kids are actually driving their own cars despite a complete lack of experience and an inability to pay any attention to what is going on, the parents are trying to get the attention of their kids and not paying a darned bit of attention to what is going on around them, the (insert after school group here) is doing something that requires that they be in the middle of the parking lot, and there is still sand from at least three winters ago in the lot.

 

Honestly, I go to meet him several times a year, and I am taking my life in my hands each and every time. It is a good thing that he is usually there before the kids, and leaves after they do most days.

 

It is just as bad when we go up for a game-except now you have to add the other team who doesn't know the parking lot. This year I have told Mark that, if we are meeting after school, we will be meeting somewhere other than the school parking lot!

 

 

[Boffin]

Statistically speaking, in the UK at least, any road within 3 miles of your home. That is where most serious accidents occur. The theory is that you are in familiar territory, so relax and generally let your guard down, making you less aware of the dangers that surround you.

 

 

Andy

[AZKomet]

Statistically speaking, in the UK at least, any road within 3 miles of your home. That is where most serious accidents occur. The theory is that you are in familiar territory, so relax and generally let your guard down, making you less aware of the dangers that surround you.

 

 

Andy

 

That is a true statement. Most MVC's happen within 3 miles of your home.

[johnlt]

Well, I did the first 30 years of my riding in South America, a lot in the Andes mountains in Venezuela and Colombia. Guard rails not invented yet, no road markings, curve warnings, painted lines or anything like that. Truck drivers don't seem to know left from right. Pavement from terrible to acceptable. I didn't see anything like that yet in the linked 48 states. But they are as dangerous or as safe as you make them.

But it sure was good training!

 

Paul, I recall seeing a clip on a road in South America (maybe Bolivia) that is internationally known as the worlds most dangerous. Vertical drops of thousands of feet on a narrow road with two way traffic that must "squeeze" by. It was scary just looking at the clip. Wish I could find it.

[JayW]

That is a true statement. Most MVC's happen within 3 miles of your home.

 

This is the very reason I moved earlier this year.

 

Jay

[Bob Palin]

I drove Hwy 550 in a snow storm last winter in my truck, it was "interesting".

 

My most dangerous road is I880 in Oakland CA, stupid traffic and narrow lanes, it was even worse when it was CA17 which is mostly when I rode on it.

[Hoover]

That is one of my favorite roads. I prefer to run it from Ouray to Silvteron, you are on the outside ofhte cliff, but traffic seems lighter and you can make a good run.

 

Most dangerous probably 16A in South Dakota or Independance Pass here in Colorado. Both is not so much about the roads but about all the other yahoos on the road not paying attention to the road becuase they are too interested in the scenery.

[Redbrick]

San Francisco from the Golden Gate down 19th avenue to the 280...

[yabadabapal]

OK--you win. I just "drove" it using Google Earth--guess what? There was a huge avalanche completely covering the road a few miles south of Ouray! Cool. What a majestic road--gotta ride it some day. You sure don't get any idea of what it would be like looking at Garmin Mapsource!!

 

(or maybe that was an avalanche "tunnel"?)

 

Prolly the tunnel

 

Headin North on a nice day..

 

you couldnt pay me to ride that road. Holy #

[Highway41]

Pikes Peak Road above Glen Cove. Wet, dry, does not matter.

Bill

[russell_bynum]

OK--you win. I just "drove" it using Google Earth--guess what? There was a huge avalanche completely covering the road a few miles south of Ouray! Cool. What a majestic road--gotta ride it some day. You sure don't get any idea of what it would be like looking at Garmin Mapsource!!

 

(or maybe that was an avalanche "tunnel"?)

 

Prolly the tunnel

 

Headin North on a nice day..

 

you couldnt pay me to ride that road. Holy #

 

It's really not a big deal. The road surface is great, the lanes are wide, there's not a single "gotcha" curve on the whole road, and the scenery is fantastic.

 

 

[Bheckel169]

Paul,

You brought up memories of my life in Mexico. It was 1970 on a 1970 K0 Honda CB750. I was young and stupid and would jump on my bike and race down a dark country road at break neck speeds (sometimes under the influence of mescal or pulque, I'm afraid). As the years went by I reflected on those roads; no painted lines, no fences to keep out the burros, pigs, dogs etc. and people actually sleeping on the pavement on cold winter nights when the surface of the road was still warm from the day. I'll never forget an evening run up the backside to Taxco, Mexico. I came around the tightest of turns trying to get back to my small room after a long ride from Zihuatanejo and almost ran over half a dozen indians sitting around a fire in the middle of the road. They scattered, I screamed and as I continued on my way, my heart was pounding from the event. Aaah, those were the days!

Bruce

[upflying]

State Route 4 over Ebbetts Pass in the Sierras. So narrow and steep, trucks, buses and RV's are not allowed. Closed in winter. A memorable motorcycle road.

[AZKomet]

Highway (yeah right) 34 Costa Rica

 

Mekong River access road Vientiane Laos into Mekong Knong Khai

 

Travel Route from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cambodia

 

99th Ave between Glendale Rd and Van Buren St. once was deemed one of the deadliest highways in U.S.

 

Oh yeah...the Pan Am highway in Central America!!! Whooooaaaaa!!! That was scary!

[outpost22]

It was the "Devils Backbone" in mainland Mexico. The road wasn't that "dangerous" except for no guard rails and it was very narrow. The other drivers were the problem (as in all of these road stories). Average driver speeds ranged from 5 mph to 105 mph...all in the same turn! It also was a very heavy trucking route. 18 wheelers had NO regard to lane selection...they owned the road and proved it many times.

 

Try to find the road in this picture. Trust me, it's there

 

[Bob Palin]

Oh yeah...the Pan Am highway in Central America!!! Whooooaaaaa!!! That was scary!

Ooh, how could I forget RTA 40 in Argentina, several hundred miles of evil deep river gravel. They say somebody dies on it every week and it's quite lightly traveled as it is in the deserted south central part of the country. One of our party came off and broke his neck, had to be taken out by ambulance then 2 aircraft relays and ended up spending several months in a hospital down there. He made a pretty good recovery in the end.

[BalancePoint]

Either State Road 415 or 520, in the afternoon in the summer after a thunderstorm, with everyone behind a steering wheel drunk, drowsy, or both; two lanes, slimy slick asphalt, hauling ass back from New Smyrna or Cocoa Beach to Orlando.

 

 

The Transplant Trails.

[Bud]

Just outside Branson, MO on the way to the Blitz to Branson.

 

Regarding the "You couldn't pay me....." comment about 550 going towards Red Mountain. I paid good money to get there to ride!

[VinnyR11]

Many, many moons ago I was in a band that played a lot of gigs in Rockland county. Almost every Monday, after a long weekend of playing and partying, I would leave my friend's house very early in the morning on a Kawasaki KH1 (2 stroke triple) and head directly to work on Long Island via the Cross Bronx Expressway.

 

Between the unbelievably bad road condition, the traffic, all the cr@p in the road, no shoulders, trucks on top of you, and the tunnel blindness when going from bright sun to non-lit tunnels it was a very puckering experience.

 

It could not have rained for two weeks, but you'd always get something splashed on you on that road. By far and away my least favorite road, but I was always back the next Monday.

[Pennys Dad]

Well the 605 freeway. Lane splitting there is miserable. Also the 15 freeway between Vegas and Mesquite, the road rises and drops just enough in altitude to cause extreme high wind gust during the early evenings.

[Bud]

Tunnel of Death

 

UNRally VI Pied Piper run.

 

[DaveTheAffable]

That is a true statement. Most MVC's happen within 3 miles of your home.

 

This is the very reason I moved earlier this year.

 

Jay

 

I like it. As long as your at LEAST 3 miles from your previous home. Also, I heard that leaving your address unchanged helps. That way everytime you get on your bike, you're ALREADY three miles from "home".

 

For me, Hwy 60, Pomona Fwy, the night I fell asleep while on an FJ1200. I didn't crash, although I crossed 2 lanes and was on to the emergency lane.

 

2nd worst was Hwy 1, north of Hearst Castle, just after sunset, heavy fog AND traffic. I found a place to call it a night.

 

This goes to what Tony_K said, (paraphrasing) Any road can be a dangerous road.

 

Great post to talk about different roads and condition. Thanks OP.

[JayW]

That is a true statement. Most MVC's happen within 3 miles of your home.

 

This is the very reason I moved earlier this year.

 

Jay

 

I like it. As long as your at LEAST 3 miles from your previous home. Also, I heard that leaving your address unchanged helps. That way everytime you get on your bike, you're ALREADY three miles from "home".

 

My thoughts exactly. The move cost thousands of dollars, but can one put a price on safety?

[Limecreek]

I-35 on a Sunday afternoon, between Austin and Dallas.

[markgoodrich]

Well, I did the first 30 years of my riding in South America, a lot in the Andes mountains in Venezuela and Colombia. Guard rails not invented yet, no road markings, curve warnings, painted lines or anything like that. Truck drivers don't seem to know left from right. Pavement from terrible to acceptable. I didn't see anything like that yet in the linked 48 states. But they are as dangerous or as safe as you make them.

But it sure was good training!

 

Paul, I recall seeing a clip on a road in South America (maybe Bolivia) that is internationally known as the worlds most dangerous. Vertical drops of thousands of feet on a narrow road with two way traffic that must "squeeze" by. It was scary just looking at the clip. Wish I could find it.

 

Just saw that very road on "Modern Marvels" or somesuch program last week, "World's most dangerous roads." 38 years ago I spent a lot of time on buses on roads just like that one, all over the Andes. The Million Dollar Highway was ranked by the program as the most dangerous U. S. road. I was on it last month, and I never have liked riding it.

[markgoodrich]

I-35 on a Sunday afternoon, between Austin and Dallas.

 

In central Texas, I think Greg's eponymous Limecreek Road is the most dangerous. A great motorcycle road, but with all the residential development that's built up in the area, traffic is much higher than it was just a few years ago, wayyyyy too many vehicles coming around blind corners with cell phone yakkers at the wheel, half in the wrong lane.

 

Well actually, I guess I should qualify my comment and say it's the scariest road (for me) in the area. I think there are many more motorcycle wrecks on RR1431, just a few miles away.

[Agent_Orange]

The road I'm on at any given time!

[Scooterbrained]

Driving down Mamma & Daddy's driveway on Friday night after curfew!

 

Marty

[wolcott]

Well, I did the first 30 years of my riding in South America, a lot in the Andes mountains in Venezuela and Colombia. Guard rails not invented yet, no road markings, curve warnings, painted lines or anything like that. Truck drivers don't seem to know left from right. Pavement from terrible to acceptable. I didn't see anything like that yet in the linked 48 states. But they are as dangerous or as safe as you make them.

But it sure was good training!

 

Paul, I recall seeing a clip on a road in South America (maybe Bolivia) that is internationally known as the worlds most dangerous. Vertical drops of thousands of feet on a narrow road with two way traffic that must "squeeze" by. It was scary just looking at the clip. Wish I could find it.

 

That hairy road in Bolivia was on TV this year. It is called the "Road of Death", also know as "El Camino de la Muerte." Also known as North Yungas Road, it is a 43 mile road that leads from La Paz to Coroico. A second Yungas Road known as Chulumani Rd.(almost as dangerous) connects La Paz to Chulumani, 40 miles East of La Paz. American cyclists pay big bucks to go on bike tours over there. Scary looking at it even on TV.

[Foot]

Tunnel of Death +3

 

I'm so glad we didn't meet this coming the other way!

 

[MotorinLA]

This one comes to mind.(Trollstigen, Norway)

 

Again, it's not so much the road itself, it's more because of the tourist busses hauling @$$ the opposite direction (roadwidth = 8-14 feet for large portions of the road). Once you get to the bottom you're riding along a fjord (a couple of 1000 feet deep) with the same roadwidth and no guard rail in many places. Makes you want to add a floatation device to the ATGATT .

[johnlt]

Thanks Wolcott, that's the one I was talking about. Here is a link: http://www.sawse.com/2008/02/20/road-of-death/

 

 

[Todd_Z1]

All of them.

 

Cheers!

 

Todd

[Rotor]

Not so much the road as a combination of road and conditions.

Blue Ridge Parkway, March this year. I know the road is usually very tame; but, it wasn't really the road so much as the weather. I had my son as passenger and we were heading south from the Asheville area. Weather was cold, damp, but mostly clear. As we climbed, we entered the clouds/fog that got pretty bad. Next thing I know I can barely see; then, we enter a tunnel. It was as if someone put blinders on me. Couldn't see a thing and was literally driving blind. Too afraid to stop for fear of being run over from behind while in the tunnel, I slowed as much as possible. I'm fairly familiar with the tunnels on the Parkway and knew they were usually short. Just as I was thinking I would hit the tunnel wall we emerged. Scared the mud out of me. No road or condition has ever bothered me like that did. A minute later we were over the clouds and everything was clear as a bell.

[jfremder]

Not so much the road as a combination of road and conditions.

Blue Ridge Parkway, March this year.

 

Oh how I remember our adventure there last year...

Four hours of this,

then 4 hours of this

[AdventurePoser]

The "Haul Road" in Alaska............

 

Only if it's been raining, friend. Or you stop and grizzlies smell the food in your panniers!

 

Steve in So Cal

[Laura]

I have to say it was many years ago; 1984 while riding my Honda 750 Custom. Four of us were touring Quebec and were in logging country heading toward Chibougamau. We were on a balast rock road for 20 miles....a road of nothing but pointy rocks, dusty road and here comes huge logging trucks passing us and going the other way at warp speed one after the other. It took us so long to do that 20 miles on that rock filled road. By the time we got to the end of the road I got off the bike and broke into tears from shear exhaustion. I thought for sure one of us would get a flat in the middle of moose country or a punctured radiator or just get flattened by a logging truck who wouldn't even feel us as a bump under his tires.

 

 

[yabadabapal]

Id be crying with you on that road. Logger trucks which I see a lot of in Oregon, scare the crap out of me from time to time.