Truckers: Avoid the 5 Most Dangerous Roads in the United States
Road accidents are a leading cause of death in the United States. Statistics show that more than 38,000 people die every year from fatal road accidents across the country.
Although many of these deaths happen in accidents that cannot be prevented, it is essential to highlight that many drivers cause preventable road accidents by:
- Veering to different lanes
- Going beyond the speed limit
- Driving under influence
- Driving damaged cars
- Carrying excess loads
- Underage driving.
However, not all accidents have been caused by careless driving. History and trends show that some roads across the country are just susceptible to fatal accidents. Knowing these roads and understanding an accident's causes is an important aspect especially if you are a big rig truck driver.
1.Highway 2 (Montana)
University of Minnesota researchers have found that U.S. Highway 2 in Montana has the highest number of accident deaths than all the other highways across the state. The study indicates that this is also the highway with a significant number of accidents each year.
The main reason behind this highway's accidents is the slippery road, especially in winter. Common causes of fatal accidents over this 760-mile stretch include black ice, blizzards, and high winds.
2.Interstate 95 (Connecticut)
Interstate 95 is one of the longest North-South national highways covering a stretch of more than 1,900 miles. It is also the oldest interstate road in the country, stretching from Houlton, Maine, to Miami, Florida.
The stretch crossing the Norwalk city happens to be one of the most dangerous areas to drive through. Hundreds of vehicles have had fatal accidents on the 8-mile stretch. Some of the leading causes of these deadly accidents include tractor-trailer wrecks, occasional high winds, heavy springtime rains, and winter storms.
3.Highway 550 (Colorado)
The Million Dollar Highway stands out as one of the most beautiful and oldest highways across the country since it was built. This highway has recently been on the news after a drastic increase in the number of truck accidents. However, most of the accidents have nothing to do with the road's age but the region's topographic conditions.
Highway 550 is well known for its twists and turns as it passes through mountains at an elevation of more than 10,000 feet. Slight weather changes can cause the road to becoming extremely dangerous, mainly due to black ice.
4.Dalton Highway (Alaska)
This highway is considered a dangerous road because it passes through a mountainous region. Traffic police officers are accustomed to accidents along the route, and they conduct regular helicopter patrols for accidents and truck breakdowns.
The highway does not have exits, making it very hard for drivers to access emergency services in case of an accident.
5.Interstate 10 (Arizona)
Interstate 10 has been consistently regarded as one of the most dangerous highways in the country due to the high number of accidents every year. A leading cause of fatal accidents on this highway is the large volume of vehicles moving from Phoenix to major California cities. The absence of median barriers along this stretch of 360 miles has also been linked to being a leading cause of highway accidents.