7 Most Dangerous Roads In The United States
Duane Beckett
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From Alaska to Houston, these are the most dangerous roads in the United States based on reports and opinions from around the country:
7. Highway 1, Florida
Highway 1 in Florida stretches for 545 miles and covers the state’s East Coast. It is also one of the most dangerous roads in the United States – with a staggering 1,079 deaths over the last 10 years:
Worst still, over the last several years the highway has been reported as needing major repairs, some of which have not been done. Thus putting travelers at an even higher risk of an accident.
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6. Interstate 10. Arizona
The Interstate 10 (I-10) is a 150-mile-long stretch of road that passes through the desert. It goes through Phoenix all the way to the California border:
Over the last year, this road has been reported to have had 85 fatal accidents, and 483 fatalities over a 6-year period. It is known as Arizona’s most dangerous road.
5. Million Dollar Highway, Colorado
Passing through three 10,000-foot mountains, this stretch of the U.S. Route 550 is also one of the most dangerous roads in the US:
This highway not only takes you through mountainous passes, but there are several hairpin curves, steep cliffs, and strong winds that make this drive dangerous:
Not to mention that sections of this road have no guardrails.
The Million Dollar Highway got its name during its original planning meeting in the 1920s. Allegedly, someone in attendance remarked that building the road would cost a million dollars.
Yearly, this road has a reported 40 accidents and 7 fatalities.
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4. Interstate 15, Nevada
The Interstate-15 (I-15) that goes between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is another deadly stretch of road in the US.
This 181-miles long road has witnessed 1,069 deaths in the last 15 years and has been referred to as one of the ‘Highways to Hell.’
In the last five years alone, 173 people have died while traveling on the I-15 despite the highway being mostly flat and risk-free:
The main causes of death here are speeding, falling asleep at the wheel, and drunk driving.
3. Dalton Highway, Alaska
The Dalton Highway is known as one of the most dangerous highways in the world. It is also known as the loneliest highway in the world:
It has no cafes, no restaurants, no cell phone coverage, and very few gas stations. In fact, it follows along a pipeline that transports over 700,000 barrels of oil per day.
The highway is a rough industrial road that is mostly unpaved. It runs parallel to the Trans-Alaskan pipeline and travels through remote forests, over the Yukon River, and frozen tundra. The road also contains many warning signs about avalanches and steep grades.
Despite the dangers, and likely because of drivers’ caution, the road has taken seven lives since 2008.
2. Interstate 45, Houston
The Interstate 45 (I-45) passes from Dallas to Galveston and is known to be one of the deadliest drives in the United States:
According to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2016 to 2019, there were 0.913 deaths per mile on the Houston stretch of I-45. In addition, the highway had an average of 56.5 fatal accidents per 100 miles of road.
The interstate runs for 284.9 miles… (so that’s a lot of deaths).
The most dangerous month to be traveling on this road was found to be October, with the most dangerous day of the month being the 2nd. So watch out if you are in Houston this fall.
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1. State Route 99
State Route 99 or Highway 99 in California is the most dangerous road in the United States, with an estimated 62.3 fatal accidents for every 100 miles of the route:
The stretch of the highway that passes through Fresno is known as the deadliest section, having a record of 34 fatal accidents. In spite of being a short highway (424.8 miles), State Route 99 has the highest number of fatal accidents per 100 miles than any other highway or road in the country.
Surprisingly, this central valley highway has also been named as the darkest highway in the U.S. due to the lack of available lighting on this road. It also ranks as the second-worst in terms of drink-driving-related accidents, just behind the I-45 in Texas.
This state route cuts through California and had 264 fatal accidents between 2011 and 2015.