This week’s Tip of the Week is not only a good tip, but also an interesting topic–the 31 most dangerous roads in the US. Here’s the tip, you might want to stay off these roads. After reading this, you’ll understand why.
We won’t be discussing all 31 roads because that would take too long, and Pinnacle drivers wouldn’t have any reason to travel many of them. Instead, here’s a link to the article that inspired this week’s Tip of the Week, Top 31 Most Dangerous Roads in the U.S. for Truckers, so you can view the entire list at your leisure.
- The third most dangerous road in the country is number one on our list. This is Highway 1 which runs from Key West, Fl to the Maine/Canadian border. It is 2,369 miles long and is the longest north-south road in the U.S. There are 545 miles in Florida and includes much ocean and many bridges. Geotab, a vehicular data company, reported 1,079 crashes last decade.
- Next on the list is U.S. Route 550, The Million Dollar Highway. This runs from Bernalillo, NM to Montrose, Co. It is home to Red Mountain Pass and two other 10,000-foot plus passes that include winter winds, steep cliffs, hairpin curves and no guardrails.
- I-45 in Houston, Tx., averages an amazing 56 fatalities for every 100 miles of road. Fortunately, the entire road is in south Texas. Officials blame texting while driving, driving drunk and excessive speed as the main culprits of the avoidable deaths.
- Fourth on our list is my personal favorite–U.S. Highway 2 in Montana. Montana is home to nearly 700 miles of Highway 2, but this major east-west thoroughfare runs from the Mackinaw Bridge in Michigan to Seattle. There is also a stretch of Highway 2 that runs through New Hampshire and Maine. What makes Montana’s miles of US 2 so dangerous is the extremely high speeds people drive coupled with the length of time it takes first responders to get injured motorists to help. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports an average of 80 minutes compared to 15 minutes in metro areas.
- Number 20 on the national list is I-35 which runs from Duluth, Mn., to Laredo, Tx. I-35 is dangerous because of the extremely high volume of semi-trucks going in and out of Mexico. Laredo is a huge port of entry for Mexican imports and exports because of its central location to the rest of the U.S. and to Mexico. Additionally, at the other end, Duluth serves as large port on the Great Lakes and a POE into Canada that enjoys the similar geographic advantages that Loredo has in the south. The extremely high volume of commercial motor vehicles on I-35 makes that interstate a challenge to drive on.
- Last on our tour is I-85 in the Charlotte, N.C. area. This expressway runs from Montgomery, Al., to Petersburg, Va. From 2016 to 2019, 408 total traffic fatalities were reported in the 666 miles of highway. But the most dangerous portion was in Charlotte where the average was nearly one death per one mile of highway.
As advertised, we didn’t address all 31 of the most dangerous roads in America. But the six we selected are six roads that Pinnacle drivers could be tempted to avoid based on our current customer base. Maybe with the information provided, drivers will think twice about traveling these more dangerous roads. In each case a safer alternative is available.
Happy trails,
Brian
