Although many truck drivers do not front these major roads, there are dangers around the world when it comes to being a trucker. And, if you do travel internationally for work, it is possible you may run in to one of the top 20 most dangerous countries for truck drivers. These are among the most dangerous roads in the world, in different countries.
1. Russia
With the Trans-Siberian highway being one of the most dangerous in the world, it is likely you will come across this road if driving in the country. Along the way you will come across mountains, forests, deserts, and every other type of road condition along the way, passing from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok.
2. Mexico
With Highway 1 being a highly trafficked road, you are going to come across a number of dirt roads along the way. Although pavement is found on certain roads, driving through the country the many twists and turns, unstable roads, and dangerous dirt patches, make for a difficult drive.
3. Italy
The Italian Alps may not constitute as the scariest in the world, but with Stelvio Pass Road, consisting of 2.7 KM of winding road, it is known as one of the most dangerous places to drive, and manoeuvre larger trucks through the tighter corners on trails.
4. Ecuador
Like Mexico, the country does not have the best-kept road systems. With potholes along the major highways, mostly dirt covered roads, slippery slopes, and precarious drivers along the way; it isn’t safe for cars, let alone larger trucks on the highways.
5. England
With Highway 44 being one of the most dangerous in the world, for head on collisions, the government had to add different counter-mechanisms to help keep the number of accidents down. It may not be the terrible roads, but the drivers to be weary about.
6. Chile
Although roads are open and seem to be well paved, the fact that they are so open leads drivers to speed excessively. In turn, more accidents occur in Chile, in comparison to many countries around the world with far worst road conditions.
7. China
Karakoram Highway connecting China and Pakistan.
With 7500 deaths per 100,000 drivers, the Sichuan-Tibet highway is one of the most dangerous. Pack this in with the sheer volume of people, and high number of cars on the road, the country is a natural disaster waiting to happen on the road.
8. Greece
Narrow roads, deep potholes, and large winding roads, without guardrails to protect drivers make the road conditions dangerous for smaller cars. Therefore, putting large trucks on these roads is only asking for an accident to happen.
9. Scotland
Sleepy roads, long drives with no scenery to see, and few cars in between, makes the roads in Scotland difficult to traverse. Although the conditions aren’t horrible, the longer, sleepy drives do cause drivers to drift off, resulting in accidents in high numbers.
10. USA
Sure, the road conditions are better than in most countries. But, the sheer number of drivers on major highways, the dark road conditions in smaller cities, and high number of tourists on roads, makes the US a well-known country for road accidents.
11. Australia
With the Barton highway being one of the deadliest in the world, the country doesn’t have a great reputation for getting drivers to their destination safely. Poor road conditions, dark driving conditions, and lackluster drivers on the road don’t help either.
12. Egypt
Traditional desert transport in Egypt.
Although you may think the dirt road conditions are the most dangerous, its really the dark driving conditions to be weary of. Many drivers turn their headlights off after dark, simply to try and avoid bandits, making the danger double for drivers.
13. Pakistan
Like Egypt, threat of theft, bandits, and attacks make the country dangerous for drivers. Narrow and dangerous roads, with no guardrails through twisting terrain, over mountains and cliffs don’t make the location any more desirable to drive either.
14. New Zealand
The roads are so dangerous most of them require drivers to hold a special permit to operate on them. With continual twists and turns, and uneven road conditions, drivers have a difficult time manoeuvring through the difficult terrains.
15. Philippines
With Halsema Highway being known as one of the most poorly maintained highways in the world, it is easy to see why this country is not the most popular destination for truckers. In fact, annually a few buses have been known to roll over the edge of the cliffs.
16. Taiwan
With several gorges, driving is only one of your worries. The narrow paths, sharp turns, and several cliffs and mountains you drive through on major highways, makes the country a major challenge to drive through.
17. Brazil
Especially in major cities like Rio or Sao Paulo, the potential for theft and being attacked by bandits is common in the country. Further, the cheaper material used for pavement is commonly associated with broken roads and major bridges, making the country less than desirable for truckers.
18. Bolivia
North Yungas Road, also known as the “Road of death” is one of the major highways you will drive through as a trucker. If the name doesn’t scare drivers off, the road conditions, and dangerous cliffs will push drivers over the edge.
19. India
Like China, the population alone is a huge problem. Risky heights, poor road conditions, and the extensive traffic congestion make biking or walking a better alternate than driving on the major highways of the country.
20. Japan
Sure, the country is known for the high quality of their electronics, but their road conditions are less then desirable. With several deaths annually, and unreal road congestion in the major cities, people prefer nearly any mode of transport over the option of driving to their desired destination.
Driving cars in these countries and major highways is a dangerous enough task. Trying to manoeuvre large trucks through these highways and countries will prove far more futile and difficult. For truckers, these are the top 20 most dangerous countries for truck drivers, and they are the countries that pose the most major threats to drivers, especially if they are carrying expensive cargo in their trucks with them.
Geoff is a freelance writer at TruckersTraining.com with 20+ years of experience driving trucks and buses, dispatching, supervising, and training commercial driving teams. His expertise is writing topics on the transportation and trucking industry, and information technology trends.
