The most dangerous roads in America revealed from Florida to Alaska

Buckle up and grab the wheel! The American Automobile Association has compiled a list of the country’s most dangerous roads.

It comes as some 49 million people are thought to have hit the road this past weekend for the Thanksgiving break. 

Researchers used information gleaned from government websites and news reports to generate the report which covers every corner of the nation, from a Florida interstate with almost one death for every mile of road, to an Alaskan highway with no gas stations or rest stops for 240 miles.

Roads can be dangerous for a variety of reasons with some traveling across hazardous terrain, while others are so flat and straight it can be tempting to speed down them.

The American Automobile Association has compiled a list of the country’s most dangerous roads with Florida’s Highway 1, among them

Million Dollar Highway, Colorado 

Officially known as U.S. Route 550, Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway is said to have been named after one early traveler said she would need to be paid $1 million to drive it again.

The road winds through Red Mountain Pass in the San Juan Mountains, with the roadway one of the most breathtaking in the country. 

Drivers encounter steep cliffs and hairpin turns as they climb the highway more than 11,000 feet above sea level.

The road, which is carved into the side of the mountains, has no guardrails. 

A mix of harsh Colorado weather coupled with rock slides make the route one of the most dangerous roads in the country.

Drivers navigate switchbacks and curves on Hwy 550 between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado. This stretch of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway between Ouray and Silverton is known as the Million Dollar Highway

US Route 1, Florida 

Florida has 17 of the 100 deadliest roads in the country, according to a recent study, and is one of about half of the country’s states that does not have a ban on using a handheld cell phone while driving.  

Research that analyzed death totals between 2015 and 2019, found Florida’s section of U.S. 1 to be the country’s second deadliest road with 87 deaths in the four-year period.

The southern end of the route, known as the Overseas Highway, connects the Florida Keys to Miami and is made up of miles and miles of bridges which some drivers find both unsettling and distracting.

Research which analyzed death totals between 2015 and 2019, found Florida’s section of U.S. 1 to be the country’s second deadliest road with 87 deaths in the four year period. Pictured, Highway 1 passing over Pigeon Key in the Florida Keys.

See also  Love Island's Faye Winter takes a cryptic swipe at ex boyfriend Teddy Soares

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, Louisiana 

The 24-mile-long Lake Pontchartrain Causeway holds the Guinness World Record for the longest bridge over water.

It takes about half an hour to cross the causeway which is suspended across the lake. At its halfway point, dry land is completely out of view.

Surrounded by the water leaves drivers open to the elements with the road quickly became enveloped in thick fog.

AAA says sometimes conditions are so bad that police need to escort drivers across the lake.

The 24 mile long Lake Pontchartrain Causeway holds the Guinness World Record for longest bridge over water

I-4, Florida 

Interstate 4, which runs between Tampa and Daytona Beach, is one of the deadliest in the country, recording 1.41 fatalities per mile. 

One explanation is likely because the road passes right through Orlando which attracts tourists from across the world to visit Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. 

The majority of visitors are simply not used to driving on America’s busy interstates. 

‘What’s the first thing they do when they get off the plane?’ Glenn Victor of the Florida Safety Council asked Fox 35 Orlando. ‘They rent a car that they’re not familiar with and they’re on their GPS, so they’re looking at the phone and their GPS which, of course, is a distraction while they’re driving.’

Interstate 4 in Florida  passes right through Orlando plays host to a number of crashed. Tourists from across the world arrive to visit Walt Disney World and Universal Studios unfamiliar with the busy roads

I-45, Texas

The interstate between Galveston and Dallas is congested, particularly as it runs directly through downtown Dallas and was recently named the deadliest road in America by Budget Direct. 

The road has seen 56.5 fatal accidents for every 100 miles of roadway, thanks to a combination of busy, urban stretches and driver complacency. 

The interstate between Galveston and Dallas is congested, particularly as it runs directly through downtown Dallas and was recently named the deadliest road

 I-10, Arizona  

Interstate 10 runs right across the country from Florida to California, however, it’s the roughly 300-mile stretch through Arizona that seems prone to accidents.

The highway’s long, straight stretches through the desert lead drivers to speed and drive aggressively, illegally passing and inattentive drivers.

Lengthy stretches lack guardrails and a center barrier separating opposing sides create an even greater risk for rollovers and head-on collisions. 

A whopping one-third of accidents on this stretch of roadway involve a drunk driver. 

Nearly 500 fatalities were recorded on Arizona’s I-10 over a recent six-year period.

Interstate 10 runs right across the country from Florida to California, however it’s the roughly 300-mile stretch through Arizona that seems prone to accidents

I-15 between Las Vegas, Nevada and Los Angeles, California 

A 181-mile stretch of Interstate 15 which connects Las Vegas and Los Angeles is a  straight, well-maintained road but it often ranks as one of the country’s most dangerous.

One 15-year study suggested it was the deadliest roadway in the country.

Motorists often find themselves speeding through the Mojave Desert with the straight, smooth road simply too tempting to push the pedal to the metal.

The study also found nearly a quarter of the crashes occurring on that section of the I-15 involved a drunk driver.

A 181-mile stretch of Interstate 15 which connects Las Vegas and Los Angeles is straight, well-maintained road but it often ranks as one of the country’s most dangerous. Pictured, holiday traffic moves slowly through Cajon Pass on I-15

Interstate 15 desert freeway entrance in California’s Mojave National Preserve

Interstate 285 in Georgia 

Atlanta’s I-285 is known as ‘The Perimeter’ because it is the road that encircles the city in a 64-mile loop. 

The interstate connects all the area’s busy highways leading to a mass of traffic including tractor-trailers. 

A combination of congestion, sharp turns and large trucks has turned I-285 into a lethal stretch of road. 

Vox calculated the road’s fatality rate at 3.5 per every 10 miles.

Atlanta’s I-285 is known as ‘The Perimeter’ because it is road that encircles the city in a 64-mile loop. A combination of congestion, sharp turns and large trucks has turned I-285 into a lethal stretch road

Route 17 in South Carolina 

 South Carolina’s Highway 17 winds through forests, marshlands, and oceanside towns making it one of the most scenic drives in the southeast.

But the road is also filled with a large number of sharp turns, blind corners, and narrow lanes.

It makes for a beautiful but potentially dangerous drive.  

One study declared it to be country’s most dangerous highway for travel in summer time.

South Carolina’s Highway 17 winds through forests, marshlands and oceanside towns making it one of the most scenic drives in the southeast. But the road is also filled with a large number of sharp turns, blind corners and narrow lanes. Pictured the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge

See also  Bill Maher says nation's 'mono-focus on race' causes a 'short circuit' in fixing 'realer problems'

The James Dalton Highway   

The James Dalton Highway runs 414 miles through the Alaskan wilderness from Fairbanks to Deadhorse along the shores of the Arctic Ocean.

The dirt-and-gravel roadway was built in 1974 to help the oil industry and is still used mainly to transport oil.

The road traverses across some of Alaska’s most treacherous terrain, including forests, tundras, steep grades, and the Yukon River.

The road is the focus of the hit television show Ice Road Truckers.

Part of what makes the highway so dangerous is its remoteness with just three towns along the entire route, including a 240-mile stretch without a single gas station or rest stop.

The James Dalton Highway runs 414 miles through the Alaskan wilderness from Fairbanks to Deadhorse along the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Part of what makes the highway so dangerous is its remoteness with just three towns along the entire route

Montana’s Highway 2 

Montana’s Highway 2 stretches east-west across the northern end of the state. 

The state’s open roads lead to pleasant drives but they can also be dangerous too. 

The road has a 70 mph speed limit, even through some of the most mountainous regions. 

Its remote nature means should drivers run into trouble, they can be almost an hour away from any kind of emergency help.

In 2021, the average EMS response time in Montana was about 45 minutes. 

Montana’s Highway 2 stretches east-west across the northern end of the state. The state’s open roads leads to pleasant drives but they can also be dangerous too

Maui, Hawaii road to Hana 

The 52-mile road on Hawaii’s Maui connects Kahului to Hana along the island’s rugged eastern shoreline. 

The highway offers picturesque views of mountains, tropical foliage, and crashing waves but drivers need to pay attention. 

The road has 620 turns and 59 narrow bridges meaning motorists can take up to four hours to drive along it. 

The Hawaii Tourism Authority even recommends traveling with a tour company instead of going it alone.

The 52-mile road on Hawaii’s Maui connects Kahului to Hana along the island’s rugged eastern shoreline. The road has 620 turns and 59 narrow bridges meaning motorists can take up to four hours to drive along it