The 10 most dangerous countries to drive in the world

Have you ever wanted to know which are the 10 most dangerous countries to drive in the whole world? Buckle up and get ready to change your perspective on how people drive in your country…

We often complain about how badly people drive in our country, but we never stop to think about whether there are places where this activity is far more dangerous.
Today we present to you a compiled top 10 countries where driving is most dangerous in the entire world, based on the number of accidents that occur each year and other factors that may influence the statistics.

Chad

This country is located in Central Africa. According to the WHO, road safety regulations are not enforced 100% in practice in this country. The infrastructure is in very poor condition and can be really dangerous. Just to give an example, in the capital, N’Djamena, only the main roads are paved. When the rainy season arrives, many tracks become impassable, and in the dry season, the dust clouds caused by many dirt roads significantly reduce visibility. The mortality rate is 29.7 per 100,000 people.

Oman

The roads and streets within the cities are mostly in good condition; however, journeys between cities, especially at night, are particularly dangerous due to extremely poor visibility, wandering livestock, or drivers who abuse speed. Its mortality rate is 30.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Guinea-Bissau

In this country in West Africa, most of the traffic laws we are used to do not exist. Just to give an example, the requirement to wear a helmet on a motorcycle, the mandatory use of seat belts, or the ban on using a mobile phone while driving, among others, are not even legislated according to the WHO. There is a lack of lighting, the roads, both in urban and rural areas, are in a lamentable state, and roadside assistance is very scarce. To make matters worse, there are still many landmines scattered across the terrain, left behind after the civil war and the war of independence this country suffered. The death rate is 31.2 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Iraq

Iraq is the seventh most dangerous country to drive in the entire world according to the World Atlas. Travel in this country remains very dangerous due to the current situation of constant armed conflict and attacks. If we add to this that many of its infrastructures are not in the best possible condition and that many drivers in this country are impatient, rude, and reckless according to Virtualtourist, we are faced with a truly dangerous cocktail.
Its road mortality rate stands at 31.5 per 100,000 inhabitants.

South Africa

We make an exception for countries, to encompass an entire territory. Deaths caused by traffic accidents in South African territory are twice as high as the rest of the world. Poor driving, limited traffic laws, stress on its roads, which generates anger, aggressive driving, distractions, or drink-driving are some of the reasons that drive this territory to reach a mortality rate of 31.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the WHO.

Nigeria

This African country has one of the highest road mortality rates in the entire world, with 33.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Factors such as excessive speed, certain often unpredictable driving habits, and an insufficient lack of basic maintenance, few safety features in many vehicles, or the absence of any official vehicle inspection for technical checks account for these figures. In addition, drivers are very disrespectful and show little empathy towards other drivers and pedestrians, and there are numerous accidents on intercity roads, often with a large number of victims.

Iran

Iran is the fourth most dangerous country to drive in according to WHO data. The mortality rate recorded here is 34 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The excessive traffic this country suffers is often chaotic. Around 20,000 people die each year in this country as a result of car accidents, which makes this figure the second highest cause of preventable mortality in the country. Traffic rules as basic as obeying traffic lights, road signs, or railway crossing markings are often ignored by many drivers. Furthermore, the streets are not well lit, the infrastructure is not in the best possible condition, and many streets are blocked by cars.

Venezuela

Many roads in this country are in good condition; however, there are many dirt and gravel tracks with numerous potholes according to TripAdvisor. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, is the most problematic, especially for pedestrians. To make matters worse, pedestrians do not have right of way, unlike in many other countries, so you can imagine the number of pedestrian run-overs that take place each year. Its mortality rate is 37.2 deaths per 100,000 people.

Thailand

The existing road infrastructure in this country is one of the worst in the world, and there do not seem to be any plans to improve it, according to the WHO. Speeding, drink-driving, traffic laws that are rarely enforced, or the carelessness of both pedestrians and drivers are some of the reasons why Thailand has a rate of 39 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Something that, by the way, is amplified by the country’s large population and the huge number of tourists it receives each year who are unfamiliar with how things work on its roads.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic holds the number one spot as the most dangerous country to drive in. It is hard to believe that a paradise like this one, like Thailand, visited by so many tourists each year, is capable of generating the surprising mortality figure of 42 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, sudden lane changes without any signalling, or lack of attention, as well as failing to obey signs such as the stop sign, contribute to this country being ranked as the most dangerous in the world for driving.

Now that you know which are the 10 most dangerous countries to drive in the world, do you still think yours is that bad?