It is one of the stretches of road that grey nomads most dread travelling on … but it’s still a shock to see the Bruce Highway named as one of the world’s 22 most deadly highways.
Keeping Queensland’s notoriously dangerous highway company on the list of shame are narrow roads carved precariously out of towering mountains and remote highways that pass through country patrolled by armed bandits.
A new interactive map, by British company Driving Experiences, rates the Bruce’s fear factor as four out of 10… thanks to illegal and dangerous overtaking, and the road’s length.
However, it’s far from being the scariest place to drive. The North Yungas Road in Bolivia (aka the Road of Death) gets a 10 out of 10 for fear factor, courtesy of an uneven driving surface that is sometimes only three metres wide and has sheer drops of up to 1000 metres on one side.
The Br-116 road in Brazil, nicknamed the Highway of Death, is responsible for thousands of deaths each year. As well as extreme weather and treacherous road conditions, motorists also have to contend with roaming gangs and armed bandits.
RACQ senior traffic and safety engineer Greg Miszkowycz told the Central Queensland News that it was unfair to lump the Bruce with the world’s most dangerous roads … but said there was still plenty of work to do.
“There are certainly roads across the world that are much worse, but the Bruce is still risky for drivers,” Mr Miszkowycz said. “There is a lot of truck traffic, and it is an undivided highway for the most part that carries high volumes of traffic, so there is a high risk of head-on crashes.”
According to Transport and Main Roads statistics, there have been 356 fatalities on the 1500km-long Bruce Highway from January 2005 to March 2013. In that time period, there were also 3307 people hospitalised, 2346 medically treated and 1401 minor injuries sustained.
Does the Bruce Highway deserve its place on this list of shame? Where do you think Australia’s most dangerous road is? Comment below.
I travelled the Bruce Highway from Mackay to Brisbane in 1964 when a lot of it was single bitumen strip… We camped by the road at night, lit a fire and it is where I saw my first glider in the light of a fire as it jumped/flew between trees…
It’s not the road that’s the problem… It’s the clowns driving on it at excessive speed or outside their ability….
Absolutely hate the Bruce Highway. Blew a tyre in my RV and could only pull partially off the highway. RAA guy fixed it but received a hurt arm for his efforts. (caused by a flying rock as a truck passed). Drivers do not slow down. I will always be grateful to this young man.
you could put most of QLD roads as the nations worst roads they put the culverts on top of the road and not underneath like most other states do also the verges of there roads are particularly steep and dangerous
I agree, went half way along the Bruce Highway from NSW last year in our motor home (Bedford Bus) decided to head inland. Too much stress involved with the traffic issues, dangerous overtakings etc.
where is Your sense of adventure?My wife and me have traveled this road for 40+ years towing trailer and caravans.without any mishaps. adjust Your driving to the road .and enjoy beautiful Queensland. ps, also drove semi & truck & dog on this rd only beef was people who thought they were the only ones en titled to the road.