Three High-Risk Roads In Nevada
When we think of Nevada, we think of Las Vegas. That's not to say that there aren't other attractions and places of interest in Nevada, but you could put Vegas anywhere in the world, and it would automatically become the most interesting thing in the region.
Next to Sin City, everything else pales in comparison. Because Vegas has such an emphasis on partying and fun, though, everyone associates Nevada with good times. Nobody associates it with potentially lethal roads - but perhaps they should.
If you’re going to Vegas, your best option is to fly. Should you choose to travel by road, you could find yourself up against some of the most hazardous conditions and high risks you’ll ever encounter while driving in America.
For the curious among you, here are three major roads in Nevada that you should avoid at all costs.
Mount Rose Highway
There are plenty of positive things to say about Mt. Rose Highway, but most of them don’t involve the experience of driving along it. It’s certainly scenic. It’s also dramatic. Very few roads this far above sea level (we’re talking nine thousand feet at the top) manage to stay open all year round, but this one does. That relaxed attitude to weather and exposure sometimes has consequences. Fatal collisions and accidents occur with depressing regularity on the Mount Rose Highway, and some of those incidents could have been prevented with a little more care and planning.
If you’re looking to go from Lake Tahoe to Reno or back again, you won’t find a more visually striking route. You also won’t find a more dangerous one. It’s unsafe at any time of year, but winter is particularly dangerous. For the past five winters in a row, the number of accidents reported on this stretch of highway has exceeded five hundred. It bends when you don’t expect it to, and a build up of snow can hide sharp turns and hazards right up until the point you’re right on top of them. No risk you could take at a casino table in Vegas is bigger than the risk of taking this route in the dark of January.
Highway 50
Concentration and fatigue are two of the biggest enemies of a driver on a long journey. That’s why the fact that Highway 50 is known as America’s loneliest road is worrying even before you factor in the fact that you’d be a very, very long way from help if anything were to go wrong with your car halfway through your journey. Breaking down on Highway 50 is how horror movies start. There wouldn’t even need to be any monsters in this horror movie - facing the elements alone would be horrific enough.
On paper, Highway 50 isn't a difficult road to drive along. It's straight, it's flat, and there are very few obstacles. The challenge comes from the fact that there isn't really much of everything. At one point, you'll go 250 miles without seeing a gas station, a settlement, or a phone mast that will provide you with any kind of service. It's lonely, it's dull, and it ends in the foothills of mountains just when you least expect it. The overwhelming majority of the route is nothing but a featureless desert, and keeping your mind focused on the task at hand is a difficult task. Anyone who finds themself having to take this route - and why you'd 'have' to do that is a big question - is advised to take a survival kit with them in case they break down and have to either spend the night there or embark on a long journey for assistance.
US 93
There are many relaxing and enjoyable ways to get from Phoenix to Las Vegas or to make the same trip in the opposite direction. US 93 isn't one of them. This is such a dangerous road that it frequently makes the national news. Some websites have even called it the most dangerous of all the highways in the United States of America, and although we wouldn't necessarily agree with that assessment (you can read our thoughts on that matter elsewhere on our website), it's definitely high up on the list.
What makes US 93 so dangerous is a combination of poor driving conditions and poor emergency response times. Over 100 people lost their lives on the road between 2010 and 2018, and some of them could have been saved if help had reached them faster. Mohave Country is a particular black spot for accidents, but they can happen anywhere along the stretch and you can't take your eyes off the road for a moment. When there are so many other ways to travel between the two locations, why would you choose this one?
We don't want to put you off the idea of traveling to Vegas - it's a fun place to go! Most of you will live in a location that offers connections to Sin City without necessitating the use of any of these roads, but for the few of you who don't - consider whether driving to the airport is a better approach than setting off down any of these lethal roads. The views can be spectacular, but there's danger hiding around every corner. Gamble on the card tables when you get to Las Vegas, don't gamble with your safety before you've even arrived!