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Le titre de cette vidéo est The World’s Most Extreme Roads, sa durée est de 02:52:37 secondes, et elle a été fournie par l’auteur. La description suit ci-dessous :« Des déserts brûlants aux toundras gelés, des jungles denses aux montagnes imposantes – ce sont les routes les plus dangereuses du monde. Les bords des falaises, l’effondrement des ponts, les rivières déchaînées et la météo brutale transforment chaque voyage en combat pour la survie. Pourtant, les habitants et les voyageurs les bravent toujours, car il n’y a pas d’autre moyen. Cette série vous emmène directement au cœur de l’action, explorant les paysages à couper le souffle, les itinéraires périlleux et les histoires incroyables de ceux qui risquent tout pour les conquérir. 00:00 Bolivie, Côte d’Ivoire, Géorgie 44:43 Afghanistan, Afrique du Sud, Inde 01:27:32 Pakistan, Madagascar, Bangladesh 02:10:05 Nouvelle-Zélande, Écosse, Australie ».
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Un bon éclairage public pour une ville plus sûre et plus agréable
Comprendre le fonctionnement d’AppliJeSignale
AppliJeSignale offre une expérience simple et rapide. Pas besoin d’installer quoi que ce soit ni de créer un compte. Il suffit de se connecter au site depuis un smartphone ou un ordinateur pour signaler un problème instantanément. En quelques clics, l’utilisateur indique l’emplacement et la nature de la panne, puis les informations sont envoyées directement aux autorités concernées. Un suivi clair permet à l’utilisateur de vérifier l’état du signalement et de suivre les réparations.
Des solutions d’éclairage public modernes pour un avenir plus vert
Nous avons quitté l’époque des lanternes à gaz pour un éclairage public fonctionnant sur base d’électricité. Si certaines villes comme Paris optent pour un éclairage permanent, d’autres préfèrent des solutions plus économiques comme les lampes à minuterie et à éclairage décroissant. Le code du travail impose aussi des règles de sécurité pour les installations de lampadaires. L’éclairage public doit évoluer pour répondre aux enjeux de durabilité et d’intelligence. En optant pour l’éclairage LED, les villes font un premier pas vers un système plus économique et durable. L’ajout de capteurs intelligents permet de moduler la luminosité selon l’utilisation des espaces publics, et les systèmes de gestion à distance assurent un suivi en temps réel de l’état du réseau d’éclairage. Ces évolutions permettent de mieux gérer les pannes et d’optimiser les coûts énergétiques, tout en réduisant l’impact environnemental. Grâce à AppliJeSignale, cette modernisation devient plus accessible pour toutes les collectivités.
Pourquoi les coupures d’éclairage public posent problème
L’éclairage public en panne engendre de nombreuses conséquences négatives, telles qu’une augmentation des risques pour les piétons et les automobilistes, notamment dans les zones de forte affluence ou à proximité des passages piétons. Ces défaillances altèrent également la qualité de vie en diminuant la sécurité ressentie et en dévaluant les espaces publics. De plus, elles ont un impact financier, car une réparation tardive est souvent plus coûteuse qu’une intervention préventive. Enfin, elles engendrent une surconsommation d’énergie, dues souvent à des équipements vieillissants ou mal entretenus.
Éclairage urbain et sécurité : un enjeu prioritaire pour les municipalités
La sécurité, la fluidité du trafic nocturne et le confort des citoyens dépendent de l’efficacité de l’éclairage public. Il permet de réduire les accidents et de prévenir la criminalité, mais les pannes d’éclairage restent un problème récurrent affectant la qualité de vie des habitants.
Rendre la gestion des pannes plus réactive avec AppliJeSignale
Afin de résoudre ce problème, il est indispensable d’avoir un système de signalement adapté. AppliJeSignale répond à ce besoin, en permettant aux citoyens de signaler rapidement une panne d’éclairage public, sans inscription ni téléchargement. Lorsqu’un lampadaire est hors service, la visibilité diminue et l’insécurité augmente. N’attendez pas, utilisez cette solution pour prévenir les services municipaux.
Un outil pensé pour améliorer les relations entre collectivités et citoyens
AppliJeSignale est un outil précieux pour gérer rapidement les pannes d’éclairage. Il permet aux collectivités de limiter les risques en intervenant plus rapidement. De plus, il optimise les coûts en permettant des diagnostics plus efficaces et une gestion plus ciblée des interventions. Il encourage également les citoyens à signaler les pannes, ce qui renforce leur rôle dans la gestion de la ville.
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#Worlds #Extreme #Roads
Retranscription des paroles de la vidéo: Roads are more than just grey strips of asphalt dividing up the landscape. All over the world, roads are communication routes linking important places. They can be seen as the prerequisite for human coexistence. It was only through the construction of roads that trade and travel became possible. For centuries now, roads have been a rich source of tales and history, but some of them harbour dangers, death and a lot of human suffering. Worldwide, in the 20th century alone, some 35 million people lost their lives on roads and a further 1.5 billion were injured. What this man says applies to far too many routes. Some of the world’s most dangerous roads are located in the mountains, far away from civilization. Others, totally congested and seemingly devoid of any order, run through towns and villages or through major cities. Some roads were built under appalling conditions by slave labourers and prisoners of war. Others are even in the grip of evil spirits, which, so the locals believe, kill travellers. Roads overcome mountains and force travelers to look down into chasms, or they bridge them. Roads are the arteries of humankind, its cities, and its economies. Anyone traveling on roads where death stalks is taking a great risk. But usually, there is no alternative. Some roads are wide, splendid and famous. Others are merely nameless tracks. No one knows where they begin or end. But this road in the Bolivian Andes, which links La Paz with the Yungas region in the tropical lowlands, is not only a commercial route. For coca leaves, tropical fruit and electrical appliances, it is a road full of adventure and tragic fates. In Spanish, the road is called la Carretera de la Muerte, the Road of death, Because, sadly, if a bus or a person plunges 400 meters into the depth, that’s it. Dieter Huebner knows all about Bolivia’s road of death, not as an ordinary traveler, but as a keen racing driver. As a small boy, together with his parents, a German father and a British mother, he came via the Netherlands to live here in the capital, La Paz. That was in 1938. Dieter was still young when he taped his starting number to his old Mercedes and, just for fun, took part in his first race. And came second. From then on, the petrol in his veins really began to bubble. While still employed as an electro-technician, Dieter began working on his career as a racing driver. He won the Grand Prix in neighbouring Peru, performed well in the London to Mexico Rally and was twice winner of the Road of Death rally. My father drove around here with me when I was young. I often had to take the wheel. And he’d sometimes shout at me if I hadn’t changed gear smoothly. This road links the capital, La Paz, with the Yungas region. Anyone setting out in this mountain region with peaks up to 5000 metres high, will pass this impressive warning symbol. The Bolivian government had the monument built to draw travellers’ attention. To the dangers of the Yungas region. The people of the Yungas region supply La Paz with agricultural produce every day. And in stores in the capital, the inhabitants of its hinterland purchase flat-screen TVs, which are in great demand, And other electrical goods that are not available in the mountain villages. Thus, the Road of Death is also a lifeline and a trade route for the inhabitants of the capital, La Paz, and the farmers in the remote mountain villages. Of the Yungas region. For most people, there’s no alternative. It’s only U.S. bus drivers who actually drive through the Yungas region. There’s perhaps a flight to Beni in the provinces, but that’s about all. There’s no other form of transport. It’s the bus or nothing. This bus terminal is used by everyone travelling into the mountain villages from La Paz. The ticket sellers call out the destinations because there are no fixed departure times. Each bus only leaves when as many seats as possible have been filled and the luggage has been stored safely in the vehicle’s spacious hold. The drivers all know that it is not only they who are taking a great risk on the road, because it’s not just goods they’re transporting, but also human beings. When you transport people here, you’re carrying a lot of responsibility. We are really focused when we set off, with passengers sitting behind us. Since we drive the roads once or twice a year, a week, we need to be really rested beforehand. You can’t afford to be tired at the wheel. There is no way you can do a round trip on these roads in just one day. Two teachers and a commuter know what they’re in for. We make the round trip from La Paz to the Yungas region every weekend. So I’m slowly getting used to the dangers. I’ve never been in danger because I asked God to protect me. I know it’s called the road of death, but nothing has ever happened to me, thank goodness. I try to keep calm. The drivers don’t like to talk about the mixed feelings they get every time they set out for the Jungas region. Many of them have already been involved in accidents there. At a checkpoint on the edge of town, the police ask where the driver is heading to. They ask to see the vehicle documents and the driver’s license. In an emergency, the authorities need to know whom to look for in the mountain region. The road claims two or three hundred victims every year. Time and again, people disappear without trace, despite police checks. Once the driver has passed through the checkpoint, it usually gets very quiet inside the bus. Some passengers keep an anxious eye on the weather, others are simply tired after work, or they’re praying for a safe journey. This is the kind of road the drivers in the South Yungas region can expect over the next few hours. A cliff face on one side and a chasm on the other. The narrow, grey strip of road winds its way around the mountain, kilometre after kilometre. Even though the drivers know the road inside out, caution is still called for. The weather can change suddenly. The men always have to be on the lookout for landslides and rockfalls. I’ve been driving a bus through the Jungas region since I was a young man. That’s a good thing, because if you are only used to driving on normal roads in the lowlands, and suddenly find yourself on these roads. You can easily lose your nerve. So it’s good to become familiar with a dangerous road like this while you are still young. One driver will have stronger nerves, while another will perhaps prepare more for the journey. As for me, I’ve been driving on the most dangerous roads in Bolivia ever since I was a youth. Practically my entire life. It’s only a matter of time before the weight of buses and trucks causes parts of the road to crumble or heavy downpours erode the surface. Nearly everyone talks about dangerous situations, collisions, and fears they’ve experienced. Every bend harbors a risk, every trip could be your last. Isaac had one very sobering experience. Now, he’s always accompanied by his wife, who usually prays during the journey. It happened just after I had started work for the day. We were on our way to Cholomani when I collided with another bus on a blind bend. Speed, of course, always plays a role in such accidents. Because I was driving uphill and he was coming. Coming down, he couldn’t break hard enough from the bend, his bus started to swerve and we collided. An everyday experience that’s part and parcel of a risky job. At the same time, Dieter Hübner is driving on the North Junges Road, nearly 2,000 meters higher up. This paved bypass was only opened in 2006. When Dieter was still racing and rallying in the 70s and 80s, there were only dirt tracks up here. Today, the old North Junges Road is only used by a few adventurers and, of course, former racing driver Dieter Hübner. This is now the classic Jungas road. Many years ago, I used to race on it. And on two occasions, I even won. Dieter doesn’t compete anymore, but such is his passion for the road and the region that he still likes to motor up here. Being on the road with this former racing driver is like taking a trip through Bolivia’s chequered history. Political upheavals of the 1940s. This is one of the deepest parts of the Jungas Gorge. It’s a steep drop of around 400 meters. This is a monument to the politicians who were murdered here in 1944. They were shot and their bodies thrown into the gorge. It wasn’t until many years later that they were found by a racing driver, Alberto Del Capio, who competed in the 40s and 50s. The corpses were still clothed and even had documents on them, so it was possible to identify them. Bolivia’s bloody revolutions are now history, but the dangerous roads in the Yungas region still claim many victims today. The somber statistic for just three months reads 63 dead, 400 injured and 11 missing. The officer of a famous firefighting unit, the Bomberos, gave us the details of one serious accident. The bus was travelling along with no problem. But at this point, the driver lost control. Instead of taking the bend, he drove straight on, came off the road and plunged into the gorge. The worst accident I’ve experienced occurred on January 21st, 2013. I got a call at 5 in the morning. Asking me to lend a hand. When I arrived at the scene, it still wasn’t clear how many people had been injured. First of all, we rescued 26 bus passengers who were more or less seriously injured. Then, in a depression, we found a three or four month old baby that was already dead. It was just as bad finding victims whose bodies had been torn apart. My team and I managed to save one woman who was pinned to a tree by a branch that had gone through her spine. It took a massive effort to lift her out of the gorge, but we got her to hospital in time. Spectacular rescue operations like that have earned the Bomberos heroic status in Bolivia. Like most drivers, Isaac chews coca leaves when he’s at the wheel. They guard against fatigue and anxiety. Here in the Yungas region, there are thousands of kokalé, as the coca farmers are called, and they are all legal. Coca leaves are an Indigenous natural product, like bananas, mangoes and coffee. When mixed with saliva in the mouth, the dried leaves release alkaloids, which deaden hunger sensations and help to combat fatigue and mountain sickness. Something they’ve been useful for centuries. It was only the prosperous world of the West that began using the leaves to make cocaine. But for the Coca Lehrers, the leaves are a basic element of life and a part of Andean culture. Farmers receive around 4 euros for a pound of coca leaves, but those who produce cocaine from the harmless leaves earn millions. Many people here believe that the road is cursed because in the 1930s it was built by Paraguayan prisoners of war. They see that as the reason for the many victims. The heavily laden trucks and buses on their way to La Paz are supposed to drive as close as possible to the cliff face. To prevent even more of the road’s soft surface sliding down into the valley. If passing is impossible, one vehicle has to reverse, sometimes for more than a kilometre. Like its predecessors, the present Bolivian government tries to maintain the South Yungas Road. But time and again, the torrential streams of the rainy season from November to March flush entire sections of it into the depths. For the time being, there won’t be another bypass here, like the one on the North Yongeas Road. The villages of the hinterland are not important enough for such an expensive construction project. Consequently, every year, construction teams move out to repair the damage caused by landslides and to pave the road as best they can. So farmers will have to continue selling their fruit, coffee and coca in the capital, La Paz, after traveling there along the Carretera de la Muerte, the Road of death. Traveling by car in the Ivory Coast in West Africa can be very relaxing. Finished in 1964 and built mainly for politicians and diplomats, the highway between Abidjan and Nyamosukro is an extremely smooth ride. Once a year, Justin Zongo, a bus driver from Rüsselsheim in Germany, comes back to visit friends and relatives. But the road he has to take to the small village of Wawakru, 90 kilometers north of the capital, is strenuous and full of dangers. It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted. When Justin heads for his home village, he’s not on the luxury highway for very long. Outside the capital, roads like this are all too often the reality of driving in the Ivory Coast. My goodness, this year’s really bad. Oh, my lord. Jesus. You’ve got to know what to expect on roads in the Ivory Coast. And if you break down, you must be able to help yourself. Where traffic regulations are concerned, this is a totally different world. It’s wise to heed orders from the police and the military because… In 2010 and 2011, violent unrests resulted in hundreds of deaths. Getting around on roads here calls for courage, skill and, above all, the right vehicle. Justin knows where to look. Here, repair shops and car rental places are not housed somewhere, they’re out on the road. Justin knows exactly what kind of car he’s looking for. The BMW would be really good because it has rear-wheel drive. But the silver BMW still needs some work on it. And some of the other vehicles he’s offered are simply not an option for Justin. Fixed seats are the very least he needs for his trip. In the end, he decides to rent a comfortable French car. It might not have rear-wheel drive, but it does come with valid documents. Justin is assured that the vehicle is in excellent condition. In the mid 90s, he is told, the same model was even driven by President of France. The trip to the remote village of Ouawakourou is an adventure, but one Justin embarks on every year to see his family and friends. Even in the capital, you need all your wits about you. If you bump someone on the road… Or cause an accident, nobody’s going to come. No one gives a damn. Nobody asks to see your documents. Life here is a fight, a fight for survival. The first 60 kilometres in the early morning are easy. The road is paved, the temperature tolerable, and there are no bandits in sight. But the weather and the terrain are about to change. The rains make things difficult. You have to go up and down hills and that’s really dangerous. I hope I’ll make it and see my friends. But it’s going to be tough. This is the exit on the highway to get to the village of Wawakraw. The road is not signposted, nor is there any indication of the distance. Out in the bush, you have to know your way around, otherwise you’ll never find the right place to cross over and leave the highway. For the next few days, this will be the last time Justin feels asphalt under his wheels on his way to and from Wawakru. Anyone traveling on four wheels here in the Bush is either looking for adventure or has to work hard for a living. Gibral is 40. That’s also the age of the military truck he’s been driving through the bush to plantations ever since 2006. Remote villages and communities pay him to fetch cocoa and other products from the hinterland. It’s a tough job, but Jibril thanks God for it every day and prays to him for help. Driving into the bush at all is difficult and dangerous, but the rainy season is a real problem for us. Driving up some hills in the mud, you simply slide back down. If you’re not careful, your truck can even flip over. Or trees toppled by the wind could land on your roof. No one here can afford their own car. People get around on foot. The odd motorbike might be able to cope with the conditions, but there’s no guarantee. Anyone who is sick or injured has to be carried out of the village on a homemade stretcher. Even turning the stubborn truck on the narrow road fringed by plants is exhausting work. Djibril spent three years as a co-driver before he was allowed to drive in the bush on his own. Every downpour washes away the sides of the road more and more. Even when it’s dry, Apart from the army trucks with their high chassis, no one here drives on four wheels, neither uphill nor downhill. Apart, that is, from Gibral. On every trip, he bangs his head several times, sometimes on the roof, sometimes on the window and sometimes on the mirror. But in low gear, he has to keep his foot down. Otherwise, he’ll never make it. In pouring rain or when the truck is carrying a full load, the route is always arduous and painful. All Gibral can do is pray. After years behind the wheel, he readily admits that his job is a mixture of experience, technique and divine assistance. This road is an absolute beast, but sometimes, if I haven’t driven it for a week, I miss it. But then, when I have to drive it again, I get scared. Afterwards, I’m all in, simply exhausted. In his black limousine, Justin is pressing on. The sun is high and the outside temperature has now risen to 34 degrees. But inside the vehicle, it’s at least 50. The blistering heat and the constant rocking are tiring. Anyone who gets careless and loses control can easily roll their car. Even though Justin knows the route well, it’s still full of obstacles and surprises. Last time he came along here, this bridge was in better condition. Last time, this lock was over there. How do I get across? I’m not sure I should risk it. If the car gets stuck… I’ve got a real problem. The locks haven’t been laid properly, so there’s a danger of the car slipping off. There are gaps everywhere. The BMW would have been better. But unfortunately, I have to watch how much I spend. The comfortable French model isn’t exactly the right car for this terrain, but the choice of vehicles wasn’t great. And besides, as a bus driver, Justin’s funds are limited. The front-wheel drive doesn’t like the round logs on the bridge. Soon there’s smoke and the unmistakable smell of burning wood and rubber. Nevertheless, after a few unsuccessful attempts, Justin makes it across the bridge, after all. He heads on through the bush and the rubber plantations, always in a north-westerly direction. Anyone who comes this far will find land that has been cleared of forest for agriculture. If it weren’t for the road, people say, nothing would ever change here. Without a proper road, produce could never reach the processing firms and consumers, and that is only one of the country’s problems. Shortages, deprivation and poverty. Apart from poorly paid work in the fields, the countryside offers hardly any prospects, especially for young people. Driven by hunger, these boys are digging in the earth right next to the road. With a bit of luck, they might catch one of the inhabitants of this rabbit, warren, because for most families, meat is rarely on the menu. Around 16% of the children here are underweight. Life expectancy is no more than 57 years. But despite all their efforts, these lads will have to go without extra protein once again. While the boys are heading for home, disappointed, Justin is having even more problems. This time, he’s stuck. The mud hole has proved too much for a front-wheel drive car with moderate tyres. A few workers are trying to get him out. They’re not worried about getting dirty. They all lend a hand. Out here, people all help one another. That’s the rule of the road. If someone needs help, I don’t have to ask him what the problem is. I just lend a hand. I have to help. Here in Africa, it’s an obligation. Half pulling, half pushing, everyone pitches in. And at some point, the Peugeot really does emerge from the mud. It’s a duty to help out on the road. Justin also knows that people here don’t have much and are grateful for an extra bit of cash, so he obliges. But no one can tell him how far it is to the next village. Out here, it’s times that matter. We don’t judge distances in terms of kilometres. We use time. A walk, say, from seven to midday. That’s how we describe distance, not in kilometres. The sun is at its zenith, and the heat of the car is oppressive. After countless bends, hills and clouds of dust, Justin has finally reached the village of Wawakroo. The entire population has turned out in welcome. Everyone wants to greet the rare guest personally. That’s always the case. Everyone wants to know how Justin is getting on as a bus driver in Europe. What he does and how he lives. Justin patiently explains every detail to the men of the village. He answers all the questions about his job, about the living conditions, the snow and road traffic in Europe. His friends want him to stay longer, and each time they all find it hard to say goodbye. But Justin knows he has to leave now. You can’t drive fast on this road, anyway. You have to take it slowly. And bandits are always lying in wait. They demand money. And they’re armed. It’s really dangerous. So Justin takes only short breaks. Up to now, he has always been lucky. He avoids unpleasant encounters as far as possible. He eats and drinks at the wheel and only gets out in an emergency. In the village, it’s afternoon and the last sacks of cocoa for the day are being loaded. The truckers, too. Are glad for every day that passes without incident. Justin is tired but relieved to be back on the highway again. When he finally reaches the repair shop, mechanics, the car, rental man and some onlookers are already waiting. Two days ago, they were joking about who would wilt first, the Peugeot or Justin, but now they’re all curious. Justin loves his job. As a bus driver in Germany, where he says the roads are pure luxury. His family and friends are looking forward to Justin coming back next year. Then, he hopes he’ll be able to get hold of a BMW with rear wheel drive for the trip to Wawakru, or even an off-road vehicle. With its dense forests and steep mountains, traveling in the Caucasus has always been dangerous. Where Georgia borders on Chechnya and Dagestan, and the mountain people are called the Tusheti, a road has been carved out of the rock. The Tusheti Road, a breathtaking route of wild beauty. Heiner Buhr came to Georgia 15 years ago in search of adventure. It was out of pure curiosity that he first travelled along this road to Omelo, the load bed of a military truck. This road always stirs a whole gamut of feelings in you. That initial curiosity soon became a passion. Today, Heinebuehr organizes adventure and cultural tours in Georgia. He’s driven the Tosheti Road so many times, but he remains well aware of its many dangers. You always need to have total concentration and be prepared for the unexpected. That might be a rock fall or a sudden change in the weather. It might start snowing, for instance. You might come across mud holes or a load of scree that has slid down, partly blocking the road. Then you have to decide whether you can just about get through. Should I risk it or should I turn back? Can I risk it or do I have to turn around? When Toschetti and the Lowlands visit their relatives in the mountains, they hire local drivers who are familiar with the Toschetti Road. Valeri used to play here as a child. Later, he’d gallop round the hazardous bends on horseback. Even today, he drives very close to the edge, taking anyone prepared to pay 100 euros for a trip into the mountains of the Caucasus. Many truck drivers who call themselves professionals are scared of driving up here in the Tusheti Mountains, But there really is a big difference between driving down in the lowlands and driving up here. Whenever two vehicles pass up here, the drivers always stop and chat about what the road looks like over the next few kilometers. Because up here there is no cell phone reception. It wasn’t until 1978 that the Soviets blasted a road out of the rock. Before then, the Tusheti Road was, at best, a trail that was only accessible to hikers and riders in summer. No one has ever counted how many people have died on this road. It was only recently that plaques were put up to commemorate those killed in accidents. Valery showed us the place where, in 2010, a momentary lapse of concentration cost the life of three of his friends. They came off the road in fog and plunged 70 meters into the gorge. Ever since then, Valery has unbuckled his seatbelt whenever he drives into the mountains. It has nothing to do with macho behavior. I do it because I think it’s safer. Up here, you can sometimes hear danger before you actually see it. If there’s a landslide, for instance, you can get out of the car faster if you’re not wearing a seatbelt. You gain precious seconds. It’s as simple as that. The 4,000 or so Tusheti in the far northeast of Georgia are regarded as a proud, perhaps headstrong people who’ve always been keen motorists, even under Soviet rule. And sold off the precious metal. Without electricity, the region now seems really archaic and fairly isolated, but the unspoiled beauty of nature here is impressive. We’re now approaching the Abano Pass. The road is getting narrower and the rock face steeper and steeper. Anyone who lives here for some time soon learns the laws that apply on and off the road. If you encounter a driver coming from the opposite direction, and he’s carrying, say, a hundred liters of wine, you both stop. He invites you and the next half or three quarters of an hour are spent chatting and drinking. Before saying goodbye and getting back to the road, you make a toast to the Lord and the road itself. And to the memory of those who have died on it. It all goes together. The danger, faith and also the drinking. Not to drink is to violate every custom. So often, there’s no getting around having a glass or two. This is the only building far and wide, a house made of natural stone on the edge of the Toschetti Road. It’s home to a man known to everyone as Uncle Scott, together with a deputy and a colleague. He works just below the Abano Pass for the Georgian Department of Roads. In the mornings, a shot of vodka is just as much part of breakfast here as fresh bread and the local sheep’s cheese. Uncle Scott has been working up here for nearly 40 years, ensuring that the road remains somehow passable, at least from June to October. On the agenda for today is a once-over for a vehicle that has been in service for as long as Uncle Scott himself. As real tractoristi… He and his colleagues know every screw on the steel workhorse. So, naturally, they are able to keep the old tractor, as they call it, in perfect shape. Every driver that comes past drops in to say hello to Uncle Scott and tell him about any glacier or rockfall that has descended and is blocking the road. Scott will then climb aboard his tractor and push whatever is in the way down the slope. Up here, 3,000 metres above sea level, there are no trees anymore, just rocks, ice and solitude. You always have in mind that you’re totally dependent on your vehicle, on everything working perfectly. No ruptured pipes or leads, resulting in you losing brake fluid. Or your power steering. And you want everything that is mechanical to function flawlessly. Up here, 80 kilometers from the next town, there’s no one to help you. A year ago, a wealthy Russian broke down in his 4×4, so it had to be airlifted into neighboring Chechnya by helicopter. That operation, as locals here will tell you with a smile, cost just as much as the vehicle itself. So… You need to look after your car and keep it in good condition. On the other hand, you can’t afford to be too sensitive about it. On the Tuschetti road. Motorists share the route with lots of animals, and they are every bit as important to the Tuschetti as sheet metal on four wheels is to others. This is where a cow scraped past and dented my car, just like the horse that couldn’t handle this. Bent once did. You see? It’s only small, but fixing it cost 200 euros. But on the summit of the Urbano, rockfalls or avalanches can quickly have totally different consequences. My cell phone shows an altitude of 2869 meters. The official figure is 2870 meters. On the other side of the Urbano, it has got warmer. Uncle Scott and his men have their hands full. Because when the meltwater builds up pressure on the slate rock, danger threatens. The thaw and erosion have caused a huge slab of rock to shear off. It looks like it might have happened only an hour ago. At first glance, I thought we’d never be able to get… Passed. But on closer inspection, I saw that three of my wheels still had solid ground under them, so we were able to make our way across. The rocks. Have really sharp edges and on the left, we had to watch that they didn’t slit open our tires. I’ve checked and the tires have suffered some cuts, but they’re basically okay. We just have to make sure that nothing else comes crashing down here. The Tuscheti Road seems to have a magical appeal for adventurers, despite, or perhaps because of, its dangers. This is an overland trip, no? Greece, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, now Georgia, a little piece of Russia, Yalta, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia. The man has got nerves. He’s not fazed by the sharp edges of the rocks. After all, he plans to visit all those places. In 40 days. Naturally, there are a whole host of stories associated with the road. One involves a young driver in a landslide. The Tuschetti Road follows a kind of serpentine shape, and one day a landslide broke loose. As it cascaded down over various sections of the road, this young driver said afterwards he heard this loud, roaring sound and slammed on the brakes. Then, just 50 meters ahead of him, the landslide plowed across the road. A few meters further on and he would have been killed. Strokes of fate like that are commonplace here. At some times of the year, people and animals are on the Toschetti Road at the same time. Especially in August. Thousands of sheep. Cattle and horses are driven down into the valley. Heine Buhr documents every trip on the Toschetti Road. He photographs dangerous sections of the road or places where the view is particularly beautiful, like it is at the end of the road at the fortress in Omalo. From there, theoretically, you can only continue on foot, and even then, only in the summer months, in June, July, August and September. Beyond these white mountains lies Chechnya. These jagged, snowy peaks belong to Dagestan, and Dagestan is part of Russia. This is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. The word caucasus comes from the Greek. It means shining mountain ice, or white as snow. Anyone prepared to accept the challenges of the Tichetti Road between May and September is rewarded with the wild, breathtaking beauty of an unspoiled mountain landscape. Some of the dangers on roads have natural causes. Travellers are under threat from the climate, avalanches and landslides. Other risk factors include family duties, pressure at work, and social hardship. They force people to take a risk in getting from A to B every day. Other dangers can be put down to human error, like a lack of concentration or a mistake at the wheel. But simple bad luck can also mean tragedy on the roads of death. The Salang tunnel in Afghanistan is a horrific road through dust and ice in Taliban country. Anyone taking this route through the Hindu Kush is challenging fate. This tunnel really scares me. If a tanker explodes in a tunnel like this, there’s no escape. No way you can save yourself. You’ve had it. The three kilometre long tunnel at an altitude of 3,900 metres is only one of many risks on the Salang Road, the only route from Kabul, the capital, to northern Afghanistan. Landslides and avalanches along with roadside booby traps are among the many dangers that make the route more than just an arduous challenge. There are many good reasons for avoiding the Salang Road, but anyone wanting to transport goods and raw materials to supply the Afghan capital or to travel to northern Afghanistan has no alternative. In Afghanistan, Ali Asgharlali is a national hero and sporting role model. An ex-member and coach of the Afghan National Football Team and former General Secretary of the Afghan Football Association, he now works for the German FA, helping to develop school and mass sport in Afghanistan from grassroots right up to the men’s and women’s national teams. Ali travels the length and breadth of Afghanistan, furthering the development of boys and girls through sports and educational projects. As a child, he himself used to travel on the load bed of trucks, but those days are long gone. Today, the Salang Road too is no place for carefree outings. Travelling on roads in Afghanistan is always risky. There’s a general fear of terrorist attacks. Vehicles of all kinds are filled with explosives, driven into crowds of people and detonated. The state informs its citizens via SMS about curfews and travel restrictions in the country. The messages are short and clear. No movements from 6 a.m. Travel impossible. And when travel is permitted, strict controls are imposed to protect people. Cars, bicycles and even pedestrians are searched at checkpoints for weapons and explosives. Time and again, suicide bombers kill innocent civilians. Explosive devices can be concealed by the roadside, which detonate when a car drives over them. The situation is made even worse by the fact that… Because they are afraid of being blown up as far as possible, most motorists drive in the middle of the road. Taking this road has become very dangerous. Accidents occur every day with many fatalities. There are no road signs to regulate traffic. People drive any way they want. There is no speed limit. Many drive too fast. This narrow road with its many bends sometimes sees the most horrific deadly accidents. This mangled wreckage gives a stark indication of the dramas that can unfold on the Solang Road. Dramas caused by blind bends, poor surfaces and drivers who have good reason for fearing roadside bombs. But if they are somehow to survive, people here have to travel and go to work. Many drivers on the Salang Road are good mechanics, but those who can’t help themselves are stuck, at least for a few days. And up here, with no cell phone reception, no water and no food, that can prove disastrous. What’s more, there are also armed bandits, sometimes wearing stolen police uniforms. who don’t hesitate to open fire. They steal trucks and their loads. Time and again, truckers are killed when they’re ambushed or drive over an explosive device. 38-year-old Rasikon comes from Pakistan. All the men in the car are from Pakistan. His family, his father, his brothers and his grandfather are truck drivers. If everything goes smoothly, they cover the 400 kilometres from Islamabad to the Afghan border in 28 hours. Four men share the driving day and night. With their metal bells and fluttering black cloths, Pakistani trucks are masterpieces of decoration. The cloths are designed to ward off the evil eye and to confuse anyone staring at them. the truck for too long and without reason. That’s what truckers here believe and they seek spiritual support. The road is incredibly bad and dangerous. In many places it’s just scree. The security forces on the road can’t stand us truckers. They insult us and hit us if we break down. Recently I wanted to drive through the icy tunnel but even though I had chains on two of my 12 wheels I still couldn’t get any perches on the road. So I had to walk through the tunnel. and come back with four more chains. They were incredibly heavy. I just about made it. Large sections of the Salang Road are not paved. Many trucks don’t even make it when the road is dry. And in snow and ice, some truckers just slide down the mountain with their foot permanently jammed on the brake. When that happens, the road becomes a nightmare. Once we got stuck for a whole week, we just couldn’t go on. It was really cold with snow everywhere. Up here, you’re at the end of the world, you can’t buy anything. So the only food is what you’ve brought with you. It was a really dangerous situation. I’m glad we didn’t starve or freeze to death. I thought the snowstorm was going to kill us. The truckers prepare for bad weather. They take emergency rations and water with them. But even before the strenuous climb into the mountains begins, they’re threatened by a totally different scenario. In recent years, more than 60 men have been killed in attacks on trucks. Shootings and kidnappings even occur during the daytime. A year ago, for instance, you couldn’t drive after two in the afternoon because lots of people were being abducted by the Taliban. Many were even killed. When the weather is fine, some might find the wild beauty of the landscape somehow exhilarating. But up here, it always pays to be vigilant. For example, if you’re travelling with bodyguards, or if you’ve already made it known that you’re on a certain mission that might offend the Taliban. If, for instance, they know that you plan to do something involving women’s football, that could be dangerous. » Ali has often been threatened. If he didn’t stop coaching girls, he was told, something would happen to him. When he received that threat back in 2009, he left Afghanistan for a while. In the meantime, a tailback has occurred in one of the galleries. The access road to the actual tunnel, which is protected against rockfall, is blocked. That’s not a good sign. Suddenly there’s a lot of shouting from inside. Drivers are milling around. Many of them are frightened. They all know what can happen on the Salang Road. There are no rules here. In this tight situation things can easily get out of control. On one side a tractor unit with a defective transmission has broken down in the tunnel. Two trailers in the middle of the tunnel have got their loads caught. At the other end, a military convoy is exerting pressure. The soldiers couldn’t care less if some load or other has got snagged. They want to get through and are harassing the drivers. It doesn’t matter to them if the bodywork gets scratched. This is everyday life in the tunnel. While a few drivers are still trying to get through, While working on the transmission, the traffic is able to squeeze past. A few shovelfuls of sand on the frozen surface and things can at last get going again. Everyone just wants to get out of the gallery and the close confines of the tunnel. Rasaghan, our Pakistani truck driver, finally reaches the next gallery. And this is the view he has of the road. It’s an extremely strenuous trip. The route demands great concentration, especially with regard to oncoming traffic. Ali too is glad every time he drives out of the oppressive darkness and can head on to his football project in the north. There are just as many trucks on the road on the other side of the tunnel. This route carries all the goods traffic from Pakistan through northern Afghanistan and on to Kabul. When you’re gone over the Salang Pass, the road is a disaster. It’s full of huge ruts caused by the excessive weight of the trucks that use it. Between seven and eight thousand trucks struggle through the tunnel every day. But no one keeps a record of the ones that don’t make it. How many break down or are involved in an accident? It’s said that before 2014, when thousands of ISAF troops were still in the country, around 16,000 trucks used the Solang Road every day. The sparse remnants of the asphalt surface bear sad testimony to the time. In some places the ruts are so deep that vehicles heading downhill are almost impossible to steer. This man is the guardian of a memorial site. In the 1990s, he had to flee to Iran because of the Taliban. In 2003, he and his family returned in a bus, but he was the only one to survive the trip. We were coming along here when our driver misjudged. the steepness of the road and lost control. Our bus collided with a tanker coming uphill and exploded. 28 men, women and children were killed. I was the only survivor. Today I live in Masai Sharif. But I often come here to tend to the memorial site. I get buy-on donations. On Fridays, many people come here to pray for the many innocent victims of this road. The road is already in a pitiful state and the snow makes everything a lot worse, the old man says. He asks drivers on the route for a few Afghani. Small donation for him and the monument. Truckers like Rasikhan use this road to supply Kabul with fruit and vegetables and to take raw materials like coal back to Pakistan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan. On each trip, Rasikhan earns around $200. With that, he can make ends meet. But his income comes from a risky profession. No one wants to hang around here any longer than is absolutely necessary. Afghanistan, a country somewhere between war and peace, surrounded by mountains. It is dependent on the arduous link the Salang Road provides between the capital, the northern part of the country and Pakistan. For truckers, for football expert Ali Lali, and all the others who have to continue using the road, it means driving at the limit every time. The Moloto road in northern Pretoria. Death lurks on this road and people fear it. But for many there is no alternative. They have to travel on it by day and by night. The route has seen so much suffering and tragedy. It is even said to be possessed by evil spirits and demons. With anger in their voices some pray for an end to the many fatal accidents on the Moloto road. Others are virtually overwhelmed by pain and desperation, like this man. His sister was hit by a car at dusk and dragged 50 meters. She died by the roadside. That was in 2012. At first glance, the Moloto road is just a narrow strip of tarmac linking Johannesburg and Pretoria with the barren hinterland of Npumalanga in the north. Jobs in the north, with its weak infrastructure, are scarce. So it’s quite common for people living in places like Frischgewaagd or Kwaagefontein to commute 200 kilometers to and from work every day. Sifu Masombuka is a journalist with the Pretoria Times. He uses the Malotto road every day. Sifo comes from the area. For years now he’s been writing about the traffic problem, about accidents and the people involved in them. He’d always been close to danger through his job, but what Sifo experienced in 2013 changed his life completely. Something that will stick with me for the rest of my life, you know, seeing people’s heads rolling on the tar, and the most horrific was… You know, when people had to go there to identify their relatives, they told me that they were picking up legs just to mesh the shoe, to say, OK, this must be my daughter’s leg, because it is the same shoe. So it was horrific. This is a terrible spot for Sifo, one he tries to avoid. Now we are approaching the spot where… 30 people from my village died and my friends. On the morning of November 12th 2013, a tipper truck like this one, a lorry, a car and a bus were all involved in that horrific accident which hit the headlines. The international press called the Maloto road a killer road and not for the first time. And it was a rainy night. So the road was slippery. Those guys didn’t have a chance. So their fate was sealed immediately when the truck hit the cheaper truck from behind. The dump truck swerved to avoid a car with no lights on and hit another truck at full speed. The force of the collision hurled the second truck into the bus. All the passengers sitting on the right-hand side were killed. instantly. The 29 people who were seriously injured were treated by doctors and paramedics. In South Africa, tragic incidents like that dominate the media and political reporting for several days. But as in other cases, life on the Maloto Road returned to normal and with it, the risks for commuters. One of them is adamant that the government must finally do something. The government is now having an obligation of trying to save people’s lives. Without politicizing any matter. Because if we put politics into this matter, that won’t resolve anything. You politicize, people are dying. You keep on politicizing, people are dying. So the best way is to try to resolve the matter. Plan A, they can extend the road. Plan B, in each and every hundred kilometers there should be traffic officers. That’s it. But with no real solution in sight, public anger erupts time and again in the form of roadblocks and barricades. For years now, the road itself has been the scene of protests. People long since became sick and tired of speeches in Parliament. The taxi companies have become the main figures in the daily battle on the Malolto Road. Only a few commuters can afford them. Luxury of a car. So for the thousands who work in Pretoria, the white taxis are indispensable. One operator runs seven or eight taxis on routes to the Johannesburg and Pretoria metro regions, a trip of about 150 kilometers. Cost? Roughly 12 euros per passenger. A fully occupied taxi can have up to 18 people on board. It’s a lucrative but brutal business, because every customer counts. On this road, money and power play a major role. Direct competition comes from the orange Putco buses. Since 1945 they’ve been taking black workers to where they’re needed but can’t live because accommodation in Pretoria is scarce and expensive. The taxi drivers of course have their personal opinions of the competition. For a few months there were no Putco buses on the road because the drivers had gone on strike. During that time no accidents were reported so I can only recommend people to use our taxis. Instead of buses. In my view, most accidents are caused by bus drivers. Putco buses are often involved in accidents, but 200 of them, carrying 50,000 passengers, are in operation on the Malorto Road every day. 45-year-old Tisha van de Venter, who runs a filling station here, witnesses the horror on the road every day. She grew up on a farm and learned to drive when the Malorto Road was still a dirt track. Her filling station is used by taxis and buses. After just a few kilometres with Tisha at the wheel, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what driving on the Malorto road entails. The taxi business is almost like a mini mafia. They think they own the road. And then you’ve got the Patka buses who are bigger and they think they own the road. So between the two there’s a lot of competition for space, physical space on the road and speed because the one wants to get there faster than the other one. Tisha has brought us to an ordinary roundabout right in front of her filling station. During the daytime you can’t really do anything wrong, but at night instead of going round the roundabout many motorists fail to see the few. traffic signs and simply drive straight on into it. That’s why the roundabout is a permanent building site. Several drivers have decapitated themselves through ploughing head on into the concrete structures on the roundabout. The street lights in the background are a part of sad reality. The other funny thing is that I’ve noticed and there’s quite a bit of it, they want to make it a safer place, they’ve put lighting in, but the lights of course don’t work because all the cables have been stolen. Thus it only gets really dangerous on the Moloto road when dusk falls. But that’s when thousands are returning to their villages after a long day’s work in the city. And the number of commuters is steadily increasing because no worker can afford the high rents in Pretoria. As a result, there is less and less room on the roads. It is illegal to cross the continuous line on the far left of the road. The dark unpaved strip is reserved for pedestrians, cyclists, and herds of livestock. But motorists have long been turning the two narrow lanes into four, even at night, and often with fatal consequences. Pedestrians wanting to cross the road can suddenly appear as if from nowhere. Not everyone is as lucky as these two. According to police statistics, most victims on the Moloto Road are killed in the early morning or the late evening. This taxi also came off the road in the dark. 70% of all accidents here are put down to human error caused by working long hours, drinking alcohol or driving dangerously. You only need to lose concentration for a second for the left side wheels to drift onto the sandy ground next to the road and threaten not only the lives of those travelling in the vehicle but also any pedestrians nearby. This motorist was lucky. His small car with three women and a little child in it came off a straight stretch of road when he swerved to avoid an obstacle. One passenger has a broken leg and there are some cuts and lacerations to be treated but the child is uninjured. There are no statistics on how many accidents are caused by fatigue following a heart attack. day at work. The police regularly make checks on the load vehicles are carrying and on their road worthiness but even so this strip of asphalt claims numerous victims every year. There are no less than 24 risk zones on the Moloto Road but there are voices that make totally different powers responsible for the deaths on the route. Situated not far from the road, this house is home to a religious authority. Isaac Malaza is a celebrated figure in the area because as a bishop, he fights for the survival of people on the Maloto road. A taxi rank on the road. Every few days the bishop comes to the Moloto Road itself to talk to people because he thinks it’s not enough just to preach in church. In 1999 he says Jesus came to him in a dream and told him to help people here. And now that is his mission. He appeals to the conscience of taxi and bus drivers, imploring them not to drive too fast or under the influence. He also mentions far worse dangers on the Moloto Road. There are blood… Drinking demons who have this road in their power. Some families don’t bring home any relatives who have been killed on it. But if nobody cares for these poor souls and brings them home, they will become evil spirits. Such demons are to blame for the many accidents and deaths on this road. So Isaac fights the demons on the road itself. I command you devils to take your greedy fingers off the buses brakes, he shouts. Leave the cars and the people in peace. The bishop’s mission is neither folklore, nor is it the excessive zeal of some preacher acting alone. It is simply part of the culture here. Tischeff and Deventer is well aware of the importance of such rituals. It’s very important for them that if somebody is knocked down that they have what they call a cleansing ceremony where they go to the actual site and they wash the site and they wash off the blood and they get one of the pastors or a church person comes along and they pray and they have a whole little ceremony where they cleanse the road to drive away the bad spirits and things like that. And so Isaac blesses the many Putco buses and prays fervently for the safe arrival of all commuters. The people of Putco are praying for this road. Mr. Malaza pray for this road. Everything. Good ride, set your line. Good ride. For a good six years now, politicians have been arguing about the right measures for making the Maloto road safer. Some recommend basic structural improvements, others would like to see the construction of a railway line. But as long as demons keep demanding so many sacrifices, Bishop Malaza will maintain his fight against the evil spirits and continue to preach on the Maloto road. Driving in India is a challenge for everyone. Even for those who have pushed themselves to the limit on Afghanistan’s deadly roads and survived evil demons on routes in South Africa, India’s roads are extreme. And, as even the locals themselves will tell you, on the mountain roads of the north, the dangers are even greater. I think it’s a very hard job to drive in India. It’s not an easy thing. I think once you drive in India, you drive in the mountains. Roads you can drive everywhere in the world I think. Yeah, you will see the cows also there. The drive from Kullu province in the federal state of Himachal Pradesh to the mountain of dead bodies is a 93km long adrenaline rush on difficult and narrow roads that are full of nasty surprises every day. No one knows the number of hairy situations and near collisions that occur. Sometimes drivers are lucky, but not always. There’s been yet another accident on the winding N21 national route. A truck has somehow plunged backwards down a slope and overturned. Even before the police arrive in the early morning by motorcycle, onlookers are already discussing how the accident happened. The driver of the truck, it seems, wanted to avoid an obstacle that had suddenly appeared in the dark. It might have been a car with no lights on or a stray cow. He couldn’t tell exactly. He tells officers that as he was maneuvering in the dark, shortly afterwards he lost his bearings and nearly plunged into the gorge. He just managed to get out by climbing through a window. Many people say that truckers and bus drivers dominate the roads. Bus drivers regard the road as their workplace. It’s mainly the others, they claim, who are impatient. We keep telling our passengers, these men say, that they just have to be patient. We do our best, but we don’t promise them that they’ll arrive on time. If you get killed along the way, we tell them, you’ll never even reach your destination, because the roads here are so dangerous. The bus park, just outside Manali. There is a small regional airport nearby, but because of the high mountains and the poor visibility, flight connections are regarded as unreliable. Consequently, tourists heading for the north from the capital, New Delhi, would rather opt for the 14-hour bus journey. This bus park is somewhere the drivers can take a rest and also swap news and information. They meet friends and family, have something to eat and drink, and try to recover from the strains and stresses of their last trip. There’s not much time to carry out all the repairs the buses need, and with 60 to 70 buses arriving here every day from Delhi and other cities in the densely populated south, the small workshops in the region are never short of work. The poor road conditions place heavy demands on buses. Bus drivers claim there are also other reasons for the chaos on the road. Rock falls and potholes, they say, are only part of the reality. Motorists and motorcyclists, we learn, are a major problem. They never use their rear view mirror. There’s constant friction, the men say, but we can’t keep getting out and having a fight. It’s a fairly long trip, so they try to stay cool. But the fact is, nobody here abides by the rules. Tailbacks are often caused by flocks of sheep and herds of cattle wandering across the road. You slow down, he says, but then cars force their way past or simply turn around, causing you to slam on the brakes. And the whole bus shudders. It’s crazy. For years now, India has held a somber leading position in the global traffic statistics kept by the WHO, the World Health Organization. In 2013, more than 200,000 road deaths were registered, half of them pedestrians. Even if the size of the country and the poor quality of many of its roads are taken into account, that is still an alarming figure, with all the cars and motorcycles, animals of all kinds and commuters in countless regional buses traveling and working on the road is becoming more and more stressful When I have to brake heavily passengers sometimes scream, but most of them are used to it Few people between Lulu and Manali own a car so the yellow regional buses here are Indispensable, but passengers nerves are always on edge Prizes and obstacles can lurk behind every bend. Here, you can never feel totally safe. The poor state of roads are the problem, he says. He can cope with the traffic. In fact, he likes driving here in the mountains, but the locals are poor drivers. They cause him serious problems. For Indian tourists, the trip to the north is a serpentine adventure. But for those who live here, it’s part of everyday life. The regional bus drivers know every bend and slope on their route, but they can never be certain what they’re going to encounter. Working for many years as a trucker and taxi driver, Sunjav Sharman experienced roads all over India. Today he’s a social worker. He looks after accident victims, especially the bus and truck drivers who break down on the road between Kulu and Manali. Anyone who wants to travel safely on mountain roads here in the north would do well to heed Sunjav’s advice. You just have to be very careful. You have to be on your side because the Delhi people, they don’t leave the road. You have to be right, I mean they’ll push you out of the road. They push you just over the cliff? Yeah, if you’re not careful. You have to take care of your car and yourself, you know. Otherwise they’ll push you and throw you out of the cliff. They don’t care. With a jagged cliff face on the one side and a steep gorge on the other, driving on India’s mountain roads is often a question of self-assertion, one which for some proves fatal. In the summer months, everything floods onto the road leading into the mountains. Goods, traffic, animals and commuters. For Hindu pilgrims in their bright orange robes, the trip to their temples in the north is far more than just an excursion. The road belongs to everyone, but most road users show little respect for traffic regulations. Adopting a cavalier attitude, many think, oh, everything will be fine. When the truck starts going up and down, then it’s like, oh wow. What Sanjav means quickly becomes clear. A load and passengers on one truck. Or blind bends. Here you see minor body damage all the time. In some places the road is actually far too narrow for such high trucks and overloaded transporters. Blasting a new lane out of the rock would take time and money. But with trucks getting bigger and bigger… Unless the state of the road surface is improved, the consequences will be easy to predict. Uphill or downhill, everyone wants to make progress and as fast as possible. A section of the road some six kilometres north of Manali. The Border Road Organisation, the BRO, is part of the Indian military. It was BRO sappers who blasted this strategically important road out of the rock in difficult terrain nearly half a century ago. Since then, the military unit has monitored the annual repair work. Not only does the BRO determine when the road is safe enough to be open for tourists and pilgrims in the summer, in late October it also checks the state of the road and decides when it will have to be closed. That all depends on the temperature. and the degree of rain and snow. When the road was constructed in the 1970s, the BRO told India’s motorists to remember that it was built not only with cement and concrete, but also with the blood of many workers. It should not be forgotten, they said, that many of the workers had paid for the road with their health, and in many cases, with their lives. Even today, road construction is still tough work here. Often there is no room to use heavy machinery. And besides, the substrate is far too soft. If necessary, the men and women in the construction teams also have to work at temperatures of around 20 below. They live in accommodation right next to the road, and that too has its dangers. It’s a total sliding area. It’s a 50-metre in length, and it’s a complete slide-prone. So regular slides due to rainfall, snowfall, water seepages, and that’s why… This area is a little bit difficult to maintain. Despite great efforts by the state, the impact of the forces of nature in the forms of heavy downpours and hard frost …always kept under control. But the N21 is the only road to the border with Tibet. For that reason alone, as its owner and operator, the military, closely monitors the road, here too, in an emergency, it must be possible to move troops into the mountains very quickly. At the Border Road Organization’s headquarters, the commander of the Mountain Warriors explains how the 3,980-meter-high Rotang Pass came by its name, what Rohtang actually means. Why it is called a mountain of dead bodies is a lot of casualties have taken place while people crossing across Rohtang top. Somehow the rush to the mountain in summer has to be curbed and at the same time the road widened. To prevent everything up here sinking into total chaos the number of vehicles allowed to set out for the Rohtang pass from Manali is limited to a thousand a day. Turning back is forbidden. Anyone returning to Manali on the same day their permit is issued must pay a fine of between 70 and 140 euros, because then, theoretically, there would be 1,001 vehicles on the mountain. So the pass leading to Tibet has to be crossed on the day stipulated. The commander reminds us why, for the time being, this road will remain one of the most dangerous in the world. A lot of sacrifice is done by our men while constructing this road. We start off by doing the formation cutting, which is on a mountainous terrain. It is a very arduous task and a lot of people get injured during the formation cutting of hard rock because of the sliding of the stones. That is the reason why a lot of sacrifices have taken place during the construction part. Footage of the peak taken in early July. The road as far as Lee should have been open some time ago, but in March more than three metres of new snow fell. During the clearance work, three of the 220 workers were killed. These casualties have happened because of the avalanches which trigger on mountain peaks and there is hardly any warning to these avalanches and this is the difficulty which we may be facing while clearing the snow at mountain peaks. The huge appeal of the snow-covered peaks for Indians from the hot cities of the south remains unbroken. This car is in the way, so without hesitation… It’s overturned. Anyone seeking peace and quiet in natural surroundings drives the Roadhang Pass quickly because even though the road beyond the mountain of dead bodies still has its dangers, there is far less traffic on it. When the military closed off the road in November because of snow, the 20,000 people who live up here are cut off from the valley by the Roadhang Pass. A tunnel would make the road usable all year round but until it’s driven 8.8 kilometres through the Himalayan Massive, travelling. on the NH21 will remain a trip into the unknown. Some of the dangers on roads have natural causes. Travellers are under threat from climate, avalanches and landslides. Other risk factors include family duties, Pressure at work and social hardship. They force people to take a risk in getting from A to B every day. Other dangers can be put down to human error, like a lack of concentration or a mistake at the wheel. But simple bad luck can also mean tragedy on the roads of death. Nanga Parbat, in the Himalayas, is one of the world’s highest mountains. Treacherous glaciers, rockfalls and avalanches have given it a notorious and deadly reputation as a killer mountain. Certainly, where German climbers are concerned, the many failed expeditions and accidents since the 1930s have earned Nanga Parbat in Pakistan the somber and frightening name of the mountain of fate. The small town of Raikot lies at the start of the last drivable road to the base camp below the summit. Running alongside a chasm, it threads its way between cliffs and landslides. Even getting to Raikot is an adventure fraught with danger. Known as KKH, the Karakoram Highway is a 2,000 km long trunk road linking Pakistan with China. Murtaza Baig is an expert on mountain tours in Pakistan. He kept a film record of our journey and told us what is so fascinating about the highway. Always the people describe about this road. I was really interested to must go and see how is ferry meadows and what is the road condition, because people are afraid and always talking about the road. So myself, when I came first time and I see the Jeep and then started the Jeep, I was too scared. And I said, Oh my God, where I am going. Following the mighty Indus River, Karakoram highway winds its way through the huge gorges of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram. Goods transportation was always a compelling reason for building the road. Colourful, artistically decorated trucks from Pakistan are unique. Front and roof superstructures are enlarged with wooden cladding to create more space for decoration. The term Karakoram Highway is actually a misnomer because the road is rarely well built, let alone multi-lane, and it runs straight through towns and villages. Truckers like Faisal are often on the road for weeks on end. The elaborate decorations on the inside and outside of their vehicles are intended to give them at least some feeling of home comfort. Because theirs is a highly dangerous job. Driving on the Karakoram Highway is definitely hazardous. Numerous trucks and cars have met with accidents on it. Their drivers collided with other vehicles or they plunged into the rivers. As you can imagine, the highway is used by many commercial vehicles. Often, fathers, sons, brothers and uncles take over from one another at the wheel. Because whole families work in the transport business. It’s a tough job, but the 240 euros which Faisal earns every month put him in the middle class bracket. Hundreds, indeed thousands of trucks like this struggle along between steep cliffs and chasms every day. Without them, there would be no exchange of goods between the capital and the provinces. Mine is a really big truck, but I always drive carefully. You have to know your truck really well. Know how it reacts, then it’s all up to Allah and his mercy. He will help you. But the Pakistani government no longer wanted to depend on Allah’s grace and took a bold decision. So for several years now, there’s been a new pass road over the mountain. The aim in building it was for vehicles to avoid the most dangerous bends and chasms on the notorious Karakorum Highway. At an altitude of 4,000 metres, the Barbosa Pass was also designed to save truckers several hours, theoretically at least. Because even though the road is actually new, driving over the pass is most definitely an adventurous undertaking. If you use the pass, then for hours, definitely you will save from the KKH, because KKH is longer than Naran or via Babusar Pass. But the first signs raise suspicions that the new Pass road might be just as hazardous as the highway around the mountain. What’s more, the pass is only open from June to October. Such are the forces of nature here. That frost and tumbling rocks cause so much damage that the pass road has to be repaired at great effort and expense every year. Even in June and July, fog, rain and sometimes snow are a major risk. The traffic has suddenly come to a standstill. People are standing in the middle of the road. Meltwater from the glacier put too much pressure on the cliff. Consequently, only a few minutes ago, a huge landslip swept an entire mountainside into the depths. Now there is total confusion here. No one has any idea of the true extent of the disaster. The masses of mud, rock and scree have buried everything beneath them. Heavy-duty machines will have to be brought up to deal with the problem. Drivers soon realized that they won’t be going anywhere today unless they turn back. This route is highly dangerous, not only because of the weather conditions like mist and rain, but also because of the poor road surface. Over the last three years, thousands of people have been killed and injured. The tight bends are a real problem. And many accidents are often the result of the conditions, but sometimes they are also caused by brake failure. Big slidings and then the people said that there is more tree like this. So that’s why the people are stuck for three days, four days. And then there is no heavy machines there, you know, so that’s the big cause. That’s why the people are stuck from both sides. Three houses in the village of Thak. Telephone lines and electricity cables have been buried by the masses of mud and rock. And so have five young people in their car. It’s a tragic situation. Somehow, residents and travellers try their best to clear the debris. After all, everyone wants to continue their journey. However, the full extent of the landslide only gradually comes to light. At the same time, on the Karakoram Highway, a short way down from the peak, Faisal and other truckers have decided against taking the road over the pass. It might save time, they say, but the road is blocked too often and it’s too steep anyway for trucks. So their only option is the dangerous KHH. With its tight bends and cliff faces, the piles of shattered glass indicate head-on collisions, with no room for evasion action. Such crashes are common. The driver has a broken axle. He’s been waiting in his truck for hours. It will be a while yet before his co-driver comes back with help. So he’s been taking a nap. As 24-year-old Faisal knows, it’s all part of everyday working life on the highway. When you drive this highway for the first time, you’re scared, but then you get used to it. Of course, I’d prefer it if the situation here were better, with more signs, for instance. If the roads were better, life for us drivers would be easier. We would have fewer problems on the route. A subunit of the Pakistani Armed Forces was established. 15,000 workers, under the direction of Pakistani and Chinese engineers, blasted and dug the road through the mountains, initially with explosives and then with their bare hands as well. Even today, the more than 800 Pakistanis who lost their lives in building the highway are regarded as martyrs. The road still follows the Indus River, whose raging waters have cut a deep gorge through the rock. Raikot is a quiet town, right on the highway. Goods are transported further north from here to Afghanistan, Tajikistan and China. The climbers hoping to conquer Nangarpaabat take an easterly approach. In Raikot, they get into one of the brightly colored Jeeps, which were left here in the 1970s by the American military. In Raikot, extreme sports people, mountaineers, and Pakistani tourists all rent a jeep with driver. Because because they are the only vehicles able to cope with the road to the Fairy Meadows base Camp. Rykons jeep drivers are organized in a kind of professional association. They set prices and draw lots to see who takes which tour on the dangerous road. No driving school could teach what they know and can do. They are absolute specialists and bear responsibility for the lives of the four or five people in their Jeep. Only a few minutes out from Rycot, passengers quickly get an initial idea of what they’ve let themselves in for. To the right, the jagged edges of a cliff face. To the left, a yawning chasm. Driving a touch too fast, taking a bend too wide, a rock fall, a sudden oncoming traffic situation. There are many dangerous situations here that can end fatally. In many places, parts of the road have crumbled, making the narrow track even narrower. Damaged sections are temporarily repaired with wooden beams and piles of stones, But instead of focusing intently on every rock, if possible, passengers should enjoy the spectacular view. The drivers are bold, fearless men who know every rock, every bend and every sheer drop. It’s only 20 kilometres from Rycot to the end of the road, but the journey takes up to an hour and a half. Every few kilometres, the driver stops to make a brief check on his jeep, a mini-service, if you like. And it goes without saying that the horn needs to be sounded before every bend. The jeeps are only ever driven in first or second gear, so before setting off, each driver always attaches two or three bottles of water in front of the radiator grill. Because of the low speed, the virtual absence of headwind, the gradient and the heavy weight, without additional cooling, the engines would quickly overheat. Great demands are also made on the springs and suspension. If necessary, a few taps with a rock solves any problem. After a brief check on the wheels and tyres, the journey continues. First, Faisal was only co-driver to his uncle and his father. But for some time now, he’s been driving on his own. His gaze is always fixed on the road. The situation here calls for total concentration. Trips like this, of course, four or five times a week, depending on the weather, are also an adventure. There’s no driving school that can teach you to meet the demands of this job. Some of the people I drive here get frightened right at the start. Very few remain calm. Most suddenly jump from one side to the other, shrieking and screeching. Faisal is a polite person on camera. He doesn’t mention that some of his customers want to turn back, even after the first bend, telling him straight away that the tour is not for them. A rock fall has damaged the bridge. Not even the jeeps can get through, so passengers have to get out and walk to the other side to be picked up. My biggest fear is that something could happen to my passengers, that they might be killed. It’s not just my life I’m worried about, but also the lives of the people I’m driving. These tourists from South Korea have returned from a trip stressed out. They tried to reach the Fairy Meadows base Camp, but the physical effort proved too great. On the other side of the bridge, other jeeps are waiting to take the climbers and a few villagers to the last settlement that can be reached by vehicle. Dilba Khan, who owns a hotel in Jel, joins us on the last few kilometres to the end of the road. We learn how important it is for the people who live here. Many people come here. It’s a good business for us and good for the people. Also, if the road is good road, then they come very easily to go up to the Ferry Meadow and they can see the ferry meadows, They go up to the base camp and the bell camp, everywhere. So if the road is not so good, then so many people, they tell us that your road is not so good. That’s why we are not coming to there. At this spot, the road used to run beneath the cliff. During the last thaw, the track was buried by scree and swept away by the masses of water. But the villagers refused to give up in their battle against nature. Here, an old man has secured his colleagues solely with a thin hemp rope. The men have got hold of some dynamite and a few tools and are resting a new road from the cliff a bit higher up. No one is paying them for the work. These people want to be linked to the outside world so they meet the cost themselves. For the time being, anyone wanting to get to the base camp on Nanga Parbat has to negotiate this 50-metre section on foot. Hang on tight, the locals advise, and don’t look down. For the foreseeable future, the road from Rycot to Fairy Meadows will remain what it is today, a highly hazardous route to Nanga Parbat, the killer mountain. Anyone wanting to scale this notorious peak has to continue from here on foot, or perhaps on the back of a mule. Madagascar is the world’s second biggest island state. Although it’s more than one and a half times the size of Germany, Madagascar has a population of only 23 million. Some of the roads and its network of 32,000 kilometers are breathtakingly beautiful, but others are full of adventure and fairly dangerous. The notorious National Route 5, the RN5, is the worst of all. On this road, people and material soon reach their limits. Tantali Razanamaro is a professional chauffeur on Madagascar. He runs his own transport company. Tantali has three employees, but when his clients want to travel north on the RN5, he usually drives them himself. He knows that before starting out on his next trip, there are a few things he needs to think about, because there is a lot that can go wrong along the way. Praying isn’t enough. I have to prepare properly for the job. I must also be ready in my mind. And in good shape physically. Praying isn’t enough, and that won’t make the road any better. It’s 4am in Soani-Irana-Ivvongo, a coastal town on the RN5. It’s not yet dawn, but drivers and passengers are already preparing to take the ferry across the bay. The road continues on the other side, but there it is no longer paved. Official controls are virtually non-existent. People here run things themselves. Whether and when the ferry sales is decided afresh every day. The taxi-bruces, or bush taxis, are private minibuses that travel to even the most remote villages. They don’t offer any legroom or comfort, but as the owner of this bush taxi knows, there is no alternative. I’ve been driving the RN5 for two years because I ask a higher fare and can make more money. Tantali, our professional driver, is also taking this ferry. He’s arranged to drive in a convoy with the bus taxi. It’s something they all do here, because driving the RN5 on your own would be reckless. Thus, the drivers and their passengers quickly form a community of destiny because the trip north is not without its risks. In an emergency, people have to help one another. The road runs along the Indian Ocean. Water to the east, dense jungle to the west. A rather original kind of seatbelt, but this isn’t being cocky. Travelling like this calls for courage and experience. Over the next few days, it will become clear that a trip on the RN5 is difficult and strenuous. At first, though, everything’s idyllic. When Madagascar’s president came to power in a coup in 2011, two things seemed particularly important to him. Printing new money and building roads. The country’s biggest banknote combines both goals in pictures and colours. But the RN5 is still a far cry from this ideal image. This is the start of that stretch of the RN5, which drivers say is the easier part. No one has more experience on this route than the bus, taxi drivers. Some of them travel in every three or four days. With the sea on the right and the jungle on the left, it’s not just a case of negotiating the occasional puddle on the RN5. Travelling on this route involves an almost rhythmic rocking through mud and sand that lasts for hours. Tantalli knows that if he decides to drive through here, he has to keep his foot down, even if water is washing over the hood or getting inside the vehicle. Anyone who gets stuck here without an escort has a real problem, one that could last several days. The lads on the roof keep a lookout for sharp rocks in the murky water that could damage the tyres or the underbody. They tell Tantalli when to hold back so that both vehicles don’t get stuck in the same mud hole. The man with the interesting seat belt instructs him to put his foot down. You’re on the right line, he says. When you get through, pull up on the right. It takes a lot of pluck and skill to find the right path through the water. After downpours, pools like this can be a lot deeper than they seem. Tantoli is a professional driver, but he doesn’t know this stretch as well as the taxi lads, so he’s glad that they’re driving ahead of him. And so the two off-road vehicles plough their way along the river. The RN5 heading further and further north towards Maranana. Some of the people on the load bed have got cramp, others are feeling sick, But there will be no stopping until the next ferry is reached. Constantly being immersed in water has made the filters damp. So every few hours they need to be removed and dried, but time is getting short. If they miss the ferry, they’ll be stuck here. So everyone lends a hand as best they can, because often even some of the passengers prove to be good mechanics. As soon as the engine compartment is more or less free of water, the journey continues. The further north the vehicles get, the smaller the ferries become that transport them. Pedestrians, motorbikes and bicycles are rode across. The ramps are for jeeps and trucks, even if the sheet metal sometimes suffers. The main ferries are financed by the state. But here, money still changes hands. It’s better to put your hand in your pocket if you want to make absolutely sure of getting across before nightfall. Apart from the Busch taxis and Tantalli, two trucks are also travelling on the RN5. Hassim transports clothes from the north to the capital and often sits behind the wheel for 16 hours. If there’s room to earn a little extra cash, he takes passengers on the load bed. October is high season and Hassim drives as often as he can. He bears almost everything with stoicism. Although the wooden planking on the ferries always scares him. At some point, when you no longer think it possible, the water holes and sand tracks come to an end. But what follows is far more strenuous for Hassim and the other truckers. The vehicles on the road here aren’t exactly fragile. They’re all-wheel drive trucks, which used to belong to the military. Time and again, people carrying spades appear as if from nowhere to, let’s say, do a little work on the RN5. According to the drivers, the holes they fill in during the day were dug during the night by the very same people. And the men expect a small donation for their efforts in repairing the road. So it’s not surprising that the average speed on this stretch of the RN5 is a mere 9 km an hour. Arno and his lads on the bus taxi are now somewhere ahead of the trucks. The mood is good. And the men on the roof treat themselves to the occasional swig of gin. But at some point, they have to pull up between a few huts in the village and disassemble the entire rear axle. There’s hardly anything they can’t fix on their old Toyota, even when they’re on the road. But the water and the sand on the RN5 are a constant source of friction, and the differential and the wheel bearings suffer accordingly. Arno still doesn’t know exactly what the problem is, but… The unmistakable grinding noise gives him a very good idea. From now on, the rocks are going to be more and more of a problem. If the damage is serious, it’ll have to be fixed here. The car has to be in good shape, otherwise we won’t make it. There is only motor, 2400. This time, a motorcyclist will have to go back and fetch spare parts. Arno and the bus taxis crew are stuck. No one can say how long the motorcyclist will take because he’s on his own and will have to ask along the road to see if he can get hold of any used spare parts. Now, Tantoli has to continue in his Pajero on his own. He’s been instructed to pick up the member of a development aid organisation in a small village a good 40 kilometres from here, But it’s doubtful whether he’ll make it by the end of the day. The drive along the RN5 is now pure torture. In fact, travelling like this can’t really be called driving. It’s more a case of slipping and sliding, floundering and weaving. Out here, nearly everyone gets around on foot. Now Tantuli himself has to stop. The acrid smell from the engine compartment is clearly coming from burnt plastic or rubber. Constantly driving over huge rocks is having an effect. You have to keep putting your foot down and driving at high revs. As a result, the clutch overheats. We’ll have to let the car cool down for half an hour or so. But 20 minutes later, Tantoli sets off again because he has to solve another, far more pressing problem than an overheated clutch. Where can he find diesel on the RN5? There are no filling stations and his Jerrycan is empty. Tantoli knows of a dealer who sells diesel, but there is a risk involved. It was further south. We were forced to travel at night and were attacked. When we saw the robbers, the people in the taxi panicked. The men wore short pants and plastic sandals and were heavily armed. But they weren’t after money. That wouldn’t have been any use to them in the jungle. The two can notice, I cannot. Around midday, the sun disappears and it starts to rain. For kilometre after kilometre, Tantoli battles on through the mud. Finally, he reaches the village where he’s supposed to pick up the man from the aid organisation. But there’s no sign of him. It’s not been a good day for Tantali. The repairs have cost him a lot of time and money. He decides to turn back and spend the night in a nearby village. He’ll wait a day or two and hope that his customer has only been delayed. That happens. Above all, anyone who is out and about in northern Madagascar needs time. Lots and lots of time. With 163 million inhabitants, Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. Travelling on the roads here is a real challenge, and the chaos and constriction of Dhaka, the capital, are only the beginning. Bangladesh’s highways are among the most dangerous on earth. Anyone getting into a car here must reckon with a very special type of experience. Here in Bangladesh, the first time I drove my own car here in Bangladesh, I thought I was in a madhouse. Adam Dala is a journalist, film producer and newscaster with Bengali television channel ITV. A keen motorist, he’s only too aware of the dangers on his country’s roads. It is nowhere more difficult and frustrating to drive a car than here in Bangladesh. Good evening, you’re watching Independence News. I’m Adam Dorla. Before we go into the details for the evening, let me give you a couple of head-points. Theoretically, you can drive here without sounding your horn, but that would be pointless. In Bangladesh, anyone who doesn’t pump their horn is simply not part of the traffic scene. Everyone in Dhaka, with its 16 million inhabitants, wants to get to where they’re heading for, and its roads are the city’s arteries. But the highways in the north and south of the country, in particular, are full of dangers, which pose a threat to life and limb. Adam Dahler travels to the TV studio in Dakar by car. Some days the trip takes him 20 minutes, but sometimes he needs three long hours for just three kilometres. That’s why in the city he has a driver. It means he can use his precious time for working. Out on the highways, Adam prefers to take the wheel himself. But what exactly is a highway in Bangladesh? Here, a highway is simply a road between two towns. It has nothing to do with a real highway. The dangers presented by these so-called highways soon become obvious. Driving here is like constantly being part of an action film. This is typical of many places in the country. Just one lane in each direction, and often two lanes quickly become three or four, creating a very tight situation. People who drive for a living, like Jahid Shiak, spend between 14 and 16 hours a day at the wheel. Jahid works six days a week. With an income of just 72 euros a month, he belongs to Bangladesh’s middle class. There’s no speedometer needle. Jahid drives according to his instincts and sometimes the wishes of his passengers. He doesn’t have any fixed schedule to keep to. The more customers he has on board, the more profitable it is for the owner of the bus. Full buses are regularly involved in serious accidents. Jahid explains why it’s not always the driver who’s at fault. With many accidents involving buses, it’s not always the driver who is to blame. Especially in the mornings, when I start work, people pile in and start shouting at me. Get a move on, man, we’re late. If you don’t put your foot down, we won’t get to work on time. Passengers often complain that I’m not driving fast enough. That sounds a bit like an excuse, because looking at the way they’re driven, it’s clear that in Bangladesh, buses and trucks dominate the highways. Nothing seems to scare the men at the wheel. A Nausiemon is a vehicle for the little guy. A homemade contraption powered by a boat engine. Because marine diesel is cheaper. Nausiemons are not allowed on highways, neither are rickshaws powered or not. But that’s usually ignored. The main thing is to get to where you want to, no matter how. Drivers here are one of Bangladesh’s dangers. As you can see, the road itself isn’t bad. But people just drive any way they want. Overtaking is an everyday occurrence, especially overtaking in the wrong places. When I’m on this side of the road, it can happen at any time that a vehicle from the other side, it might be a car or a truck, is suddenly coming forward in my lane. And the driver doesn’t plan to stop. So I have to get out of his way. Very often I have to veer onto the verge to let him through. Otherwise, of course, we’d collide head on. The emergency department of a hospital only 60 kilometers north of Dakar. Victims of serious accidents are brought here every day. The Siuhet highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the world. This hospital is just beside our Dhaka-Sillet highway. Just beside our Dhaka-Sillet highway. Lots of road traffic accidents occur in this highway due to the ignorance of our local people and our inexperience of our drivers, and some of our negligence of our drivers. Anyone who makes it to the district hospital after an accident can count themselves lucky. I have faced a lot of road traffic accident patients and load traffic accidents and injured patients. Because I have been working here for the last 10 years and I am also a cardiologist and I am in charge of this hospital, resident medical officer. And we have faced a lot of road traffic accidents, not only for daytime, but also at night time also. There is a job, when there is an accident occurs, road traffic accident, there is. He has multiple injuries, his head injury, his epistrix, his fracture, his abdominal trauma, chest trauma with respiratory distress. Whether an accident victim survives doesn’t only depend on doctors’ skills. Often, it simply depends on getting to hospital at all. That’s because ambulances do not enjoy right of way here. Indeed, their drivers complain that only a quarter of the people on the road have any idea what a siren or flashing blue light means. When buses collide head-on, we often have 40, 50 or 60 injured people to transport. But there are only 10 ambulances in the entire district. So we always have to hire private buses and cars to get accident victims to hospital. Otherwise, we could never help everyone injured in a major crash. A bus trip of several hundred kilometers on Bangladesh’s highways costs about 60 cents. It’s half price if you travel on the roof. This is actually forbidden, but it is still fairly popular. 26-year-old Jahid Shiak has been driving a bus in the chaos on the highways for seven years. He knows that in a serious traffic accident, he could be killed outright. But even if he survives a major crash, his life can still be in danger. Even if I’m not responsible for an accident, people will still come and attack me. Often, they don’t even understand exactly what has happened. But in their eyes, anyone driving such a big bus… Must be to blame. Bus drivers are so scared that they run away at once because after an accident, the angry crowd can even set fire to a bus. If a rickshaw or a car collides with the bus, people on the street blame the driver of the bigger vehicle, and that’s the bus driver. Chaos and violence at the scene of an accident. A frightening scenario that can quickly become life-threatening. A totally overladen truck has overturned on the highway. The driver has run off, but passers-by have grabbed his co-driver. The policeman also has an opinion as to the cause of the accident. The mood is heated and confused. While passers-by are delighted to have found so much free rice, a few residents try to keep on top of things. They call for a police tow truck. And do their best to control traffic at the scene. Soon, everyone is bustling on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway once again. Trucks, buses, rickshaws and all kinds of homemade vehicles. Pedestrians, with and without animals are also getting off again. The fact that drivers on the highways are often under great time pressure and spend far too long at the wheel is only part of the problem. The fact is that they rarely shy away from danger, drive far too fast and risk the lives of their passengers. Near accidents are so common that no one here gets excited. The following scene, too, can happen time and again on some of Bangladesh’s highways. What? Work elephants from a nearby construction site also use the highway and sometimes change direction unexpectedly. Their owners are on their lunch break. With nothing to do, they set off along the road to earn a bit of extra cash. Car passengers aren’t always amused to have an inquisitive trunk check out their vehicles. A small donation. For the animal’s feed is a request that sometimes falls on deaf ears. Anyone who doesn’t pay then has to wait a while before they can set off. Elephants get especially annoyed when their owner gives them a kick behind the ears. That’s something you’ve also got to be prepared for. On some of Bangladesh’s highways, virtually anything can happen. The government has long been trying to master the situation on the roads. Concrete dividers in the middle of the road are designed to at least separate the lanes and reduce the number of head-on collisions. Here and there, bridges have also been built to enable people to cross the highway, but most prefer to use the traditional method. Anyone who wants to know the exact meaning of the word chaos should come to Bangladesh and experience the traffic conditions. And so the highways of Bangladesh continue to be among the most dangerous roads in the world. For Jahid, the bus driver, his passengers, the pedestrians, and also for Adam Dahler, the director and newscaster. New Zealand, a remote island country in the South Pacific and the last place to be settled by humankind. With its stunning nature and roads that offer a special sense of adventure, New Zealand has always held a mystical attraction for Europeans. Jan-erik Winkelmann is a design artist and photographer. On his travels overseas, he always has a piano with him. He’s prepared to put up with a great deal in order to play the piano in some of the most remote places on earth. This time, he’s come to a deserted canyon north of Queenstown, on New Zealand’s South Island. Skippers Canyon is a fascinating gorge. You can already see from Arthur’s point when you’re heading for Queenstown. Skipper’s Canyon has a certain appeal because traveling by car with a piano on a road like this is quite risky. A look out of the window shows just why it’s risky. A yawning chasm on the right and steep cliffs on the left. But Jan-Erik accepts the risks in his search for relaxation and inspiration. And as a photographer… He’s always on the lookout for good motifs. At one time, gold prospectors were part of the scene here. The precious metal was first found in the Shotover River in 1863. Thousands came hoping to get rich quick. The names of rock formations here, like Devil’s Elbow and Hell’s Gate, indicate the kind of thoughts that went through the heads of prospectors back then. Today, it’s mainly those in search of adventure who head for Skipper’s Canyon. For 25 years now, 56 year old Dennis Colum has been driving tourists along this road in anything that has wheels and an engine. I’ve taken a lot of people in here over the years and we’ve had people who panic and then insist that we take them straight out, this is at the start. We’ve had people lying on the floor, crying. And you’ve got to turn around, you might have a vehicle with seven people in it and five of them are fine. And then now you’ve got some lady or someone, generally it’s a lady who’s terrified, sitting on the floor, crying. And you’ve got to then work out how to get, well, we’ve got to get her out, but we’ve still got to run the tour. With his fleet of Jeeps, dirt bikes and quads, Dennis drives tourists from all over the world. He’s been up and down this road a good 2,000 times and has experienced a great deal. In 1990, I was bringing a dirt bike tour up here, and I thought I’d bring these four Japanese guys up, all about 60, on their motorbikes. Normally I park up against this rock face here, but they were reasonably nervous, so I parked further back so they could get off their bikes easy. When I brought them up here to show them this view, they got on their hands and knees and had to crawl to the edge to have a look over. They were a little bit scared about standing up too close to the edge. Anyone who really wants to experience the beauty of the canyon is best advised to leave the driving to professionals. The warning sign at the start of the historic section of the Skipper’s Canyon Road is designed to deter tourists from heading for the old Gold Prospector settlement in their own vehicles. That’s because unskilled drivers get themselves and others into difficulties time and again. The beauty of the mountain panorama masks the true face of the rocky coast all too easily. Only the first few kilometres seem harmless. Then it quickly becomes clear which pitfalls and challenges the steep, narrow road has in store. Since the road is not paved, it suffers from the forces of nature, like rain, snow and landslides. Motorists are warned of this, but nothing more. It’s a case of knowing where the risky areas are and keeping an eye out for them because the road is rarely repaired. For Dennis, who often travels the length of the Canyon Road, the beauties of nature here tend to take second place. He drives the road throughout the year and knows when the problems start for him. The problem is people, and we see it every summer, you’ll see tourists try and come in here. The problem being is not this piece of road I’m on right now. At the moment. The problem is where you meet them in a really narrow piece. They have the inability to reverse off, already scared, shitless as far as, they’re already scared, driving and looking for a place to turn. We can’t close it off to the public because it is an open road, But the reality is, people without off-road experience, without driving on really narrow, steep roads should not come in for their own sake. A professional always drives on the extreme edge of the road, never in the middle. See, here you go straight away. That’s exactly what happens. And he’s actually given me enough room. But I have to watch my roof rack here. This is probably the whole thing that you wanted to see. How’s that look? All right? We’re coming in to see Benji as well. All right, so I’ll just sneak past you. Cheers, mate. So that’s the difference right there. And also this rock is overhanging up here on the left, so if you get too close, you take out the top of your vehicle or knock the roof rag off. Have a look over here again. Ah, there you go. There’s another one for you. And he’s reversing with the trailer for me. That’s the road, see, and you’ve just, without even planning it, you’ve got two examples. So this is the difference between whether you’ve got a tourist in a car who can go backwards. or, you know, and this is the whole, the whole problem. When the road’s busy, you don’t need people who can’t drive on it properly. Cheers, mate. I didn’t think you needed to reverse out for me. Good honey, catch ya, see ya. Dennis drives adventurers, nature lovers and danger seekers from all over the world through this enthralling landscape. When two Irishmen discovered gold in the river through the canyon in November 1862, it sparked off a gold rush. The precious metal lured thousands of mine workers, traders and soldiers of fortune to the area. They called on the government to construct a road so that horse-drawn wagons could transport equipment and material across the Shotover River. Back then, small walls were built with natural stones, so the horses couldn’t see the steep drop. Before then, many horses had panicked and plunged into the chasm, taking their wagons and drivers with them. The little huts that can be seen from the road are remnants of the Gold rush. There where the workers who wrested the road from the rock used to live. At one time, it’s said more than 9,000 Chinese labored here. Today, the huts stand empty. Most of these huts in the outback, you can use them and just shut the door, you know, you know. So that way, if people are in trouble in the mountains, they can use the hut so they’re never locked. If you’re in danger, you can go in there and light a fire and spend the night and get rescued. And anyone unfamiliar with the area can quickly get into difficulties. Not only is the road itself perilous, light and shade can also play a tricky role. Especially in winter, when the sun is quite low in the sky and you’re driving into it, you might only see an oncoming vehicle very late. You can’t turn around, so you’ve just got to handle the situation. Jan-Erik feels drawn to this now deserted region time and again. He’s aware of the risks and knows how you need to drive here. This is a difficult stretch. Approach it too fast and you’ll end up in a ditch. I have to take great care in negotiating sections like this. The first major problem is stopping. That might be because there is no room at the side of the road, or because there is someone behind you. Being a photographer, I usually let anyone behind me go past, because that gives me more time to focus on my motif. And Jan-Erik finds spectacular motifs everywhere here. Light, shade, rock and ice present a delightful interlude of colours. Dennis, too, knows all about the dangers this can present. You can see the frost sitting here, but when it thaws, but also when it freezes, it just develops sheet ice. There’s always water running down the road, you see that there? Okay, well, then when we get enough thawing, then that will start to spread across the road, then the whole road will become a sheet of ice. And you can’t muck around on it. Today, tourists and adventurers are mainly impressed by the canyon’s jagged cliffs, its wild beauty and remoteness and its exciting nature, but in the early 20th century, it was the Gold and the Shotover River that exerted an almost magical pull on huge numbers of people. This river that we’re going to follow, the Shotover River, there’s been more gold taken out of the Shotover River per mile than any other river in the world. This was the richest river in the world by far, for its size. Today, there is hardly any precious metal to be found in the river. Only rarely do dauntless prospectors stray to the shot over. Most of those who come here do so in search of adventure on the road. Dennis tells us that when it rains, the porous rock in the canyon becomes saturated. Together with sand and scree, after hefty downpours in winter, rockfalls and landslides sweep down, carrying anything on the road with them. That is why you’re not allowed to stop here. A trip with Dennis on the skipper’s Canyon Road is always full of excitement. It’s a helter-skelter ride, so different from the regulated stop-and-go of city traffic. Often, you don’t know whether to hold your breath or just enjoy the ride and the view. While down below, tourists are enjoying a jet boat ride on the Shotover, Dennis crosses the river on the Skippers Bridge. It’s at this point that most tourists become fairly quiet. While some enjoy the view, others feel queasy. The doors can’t be opened because the daring bridge construction is too narrow. Often, the planks are covered in a sheet of ice. Passengers’ nerves are really on edge, but looking down into the gorge is an unforgettable experience. In summer, the local residents, who, like Dennis, live from the leisure industry, have to share the road with a few bold tourists. Some of whom drive themselves here for bungee jumping or grafting. Now, in winter, this is a lonely place. But even at this time of the year, photo designer Jan-Erik has the courage to come here with a piano in his car. He’s on his own, but he hasn’t come unprepared. In winter, especially, you can hit some icy patches and some dodgy places where the road surface has suffered. But if you’ve got a vehicle with four-wheel drive… You can feel confident that you’re going to get through safely. The skipper’s Canyon road is demanding, even extreme. Anyone planning to drive it on their own should perhaps give it a second thought. It’s a bit of a fun road, really. It’s what makes the adventure. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re brave enough, you know, it’s good fun if you like off-roading. The skipper’s canyon road ends on a farmer’s land. He’s a nice guy, Dennis says. I sometimes call in to see him, but when he’s got tourists on board, Dennis turns straight round here. Because hardly anyone wants to drive back through this deserted Gold Diggers region at night on one of the most extreme roads in the world. The landscape of the Scottish Highlands in northwestern Europe is wild and spectacular. But the routes through it are often lonely and full of hazards, like the Applecross Road, which links the Applecross peninsula with the village of Loch Caron. Basically, a single-track road, but one that can be driven in both directions. It’s notorious and dangerous. You never know what’s behind the next bend. The road is lined by steep cliffs and crossed at night by deer. And, as is typical for the Scottish Highlands, the weather is changeable. The Scots themselves know all about the dangers. I think I might prefer the snow to the fog. You can be driving very carefully, taking your time, but you’re never sure what’s going to come along in the opposite direction. But no, I don’t like the fog at all. The Apple Cross Road is the only route far and wide, so anyone living and working here is dependent on it. Especially with the narrow road, and if it’s misty, people who drive in the mist and the rain with no lights on, nightmare. But some drivers come here especially to face the challenge the road poses. There’s a section of it called the Devil’s Elbow. It’s a tight hairpin that barks on itself. And it can be pretty tricky, especially if it’s wet and slidy. But young adrenaline junkies from Aberdeen or Glasgow using the Applecross Road as an extreme training route are something of a rarity here. Any Highland Scot will tell you that you can experience four seasons in one morning here. Snow, rain, fog and sun, and sometimes too much of each. You drive maybe up about four miles and then conditions can change dramatically. Driving is part of Kirsten’s job, so she has to be well prepared. I apply all the time. I have my car kitted out with a waterproof jacket, waterproof leggings, blankets. Also for the snow, I have a small folding snow shovel. And also remember drinks, maybe some sweets, something, some Mars bar maybe, that sort of thing and a good torch. A good torch, and also I think I’ve also got a head torch. Occasionally, Bikers also pitch up here. For them, this single track road represents a very special challenge. Well, you just have to watch for the loose gravel and sand in the corners in particular, and there’s a lot of humps and bumps as well. It’s not a great road from that point of view. At 100% concentration, you have to look what you’re doing and you have to look ahead as well. To watch for cars coming in the distance and things like that. So, you know, that’s the way to do it, just keep your eye on the road. The Applecross Peninsula lies on the far west coast of Scotland. Because of its isolated location, until the early 20th century, it could only be reached by boat. In the 1920s and 30s, Applecross became a centre of attraction for motorsport enthusiasts. Early motorcycles and racing cars. In the past, true daredevils took part in hair-raising contests on this spectacular but unpaved Highland Road. The message on the only sign far and wide is clear and simple. So anyone who doesn’t feel confident is wise to take a 60 kilometer detour along the coastal road. On the narrow route from Loch Caron to Applecross, there are hardly any road signs. No traffic lights and no junctions, just breathtaking scenery. The driver of a security van is not interested in taking a detour. What does make it difficult is people from outside of the area are not used to driving on a road like that. They’re not used to single roads, they’re not used to passing places. Anyone who has to use the narrow road frequently experiences a great deal and has lots of tales to tell. We drive this road to here every week, and possibly the worst thing I remember is at a… Part of the road, which was on a bad hill, with no room either side and a cliff face and car coming opposite. Didn’t know what to do, was stopped and I couldn’t get past him, he couldn’t get past me, and I stalled the vehicle in trying to get past him easily. So I had about five feet of maneuver and had to bump start it in reverse without being able to see properly what I was doing. On the flat part of the road, the security van can be seen from a long way off, but Terry isn’t worried about being attacked. In an area like this, if someone attacks you, where are they going to go? You cannot run away with the money. No, maybe if they have a helicopter. With its ever-changing colors, the scenery is spectacular. The few people who live here permanently are a friendly, unflappable breed. Up until 1920, when the road was built, the peninsula could only be reached by ship. Today, the 238 inhabitants of Applecross live from fishing and tourism. Visitors are drawn here by the good whiskey, the breathtaking landscape and, of course, by the Applecross Road. These young men from Switzerland and the Netherlands have been to the Highlands many times, so they’re familiar with Scotland’s roads. They love the beauty and, to a degree, the risks of the Applecross Road. You have to keep an eye out for oncoming traffic, of course. The roads are fairly narrow, with lots of blind bends. You have to be alert. But no, we’ve never really been warned. Cool, clear air, a blue sky and sunshine. A day just made for a drive. Even so, the person at the wheel needs strong nerves. As you start to drive up, you see the signs telling you that the road is not for beginners and is closed in winter. Sliding down the mountain would be just too dangerous. It’s not something you want to risk. Sometimes there’s a cliff face on the one side and a chasm on the other, so before setting off, it’s a good idea to fold in the wing mirrors. Then the beauty of the road and the scenery can both be enjoyed at the same time. But even so, the dangerously tight bends and the steep gradient should not be underestimated. Gradient of 20 or 25 percent. You really need good brakes. At some dangerous places on the Applecross Road, the car’s bodywork comes fairly close to the cliff face, so total concentration is called for. Despite the stunning scenery, the driver needs a firm grip on the wheel. It’s not uncommon for tourists to put not just themselves, but also villagers at risk. Some people get out of their car and walk to the next tight bend to see if anything’s coming from the opposite direction. Others are so impressed by the natural beauty of the region that they simply pull up and park wherever they feel like. Stopping on a blind bend, getting out and casually strolling along the road is not without its dangers. You might not see a single other vehicle for hours, but that’s never something you can rely on. Angus McKenzie also lives in Loch, Caron. The drive to work on the other side of the peninsula takes him a good hour. He’s been taking the Applecross Road for years now, and in all weathers. Angus works at the Royal Navy’s torpedo Test Centre. Its location is remote and closely guarded. But I think for me, and for most drivers, the worst is a mist, thick fog, heavy rain, mist. You can’t see five, six metres, ten metres, sometimes no metres. The weather on the Applecross Road can change very quickly. Then mist turns the delightful scenery into an almost ghostly, lonely landscape. You have to be aware of something, maybe around every corner. But it’s not only the weather that can make the road unpredictable. Animals, very, very dangerous. There have been many accidents over the years that just wreck your car. But that’s the challenge of living in a wilderness place on the West Coast. More than… 7,000 accidents involving game have occurred on Scotland’s roads, resulting in damage totalling 6.3 million euros. I’ve had a couple of accidents with deer. Once when I was driving, I had two call-outs, two sort of consecutive nights. One at two in the morning and one at three in the morning. And the number of deer that were on the road at that time, really. A royal Stag weighing 100 kilograms or more. Herds of deer in search of lush feeding grounds can suddenly cross the road. A nightmare for any motorist. And they just appear, especially if there’s lights coming towards you as well, if traffic is coming towards you, you just don’t see them. And they just appear in front of you. They are beautiful animals, but in a car at night, it’s safer to keep your distance. Up here, anyone involved in a collision with Game has more than one problem because there’s no cell phone reception. They can land on your bonnet really and go through, antlers can go through the windscreen and really be quite, very dangerous. Because of the weather, the landscape and the wild animals, there are risks that cannot be ruled out. Traffic on the Applecross Road only functions because the region is sparsely populated and the locals drive sensibly. The scenic appeal and the danger posed by the road are evenly balanced. For Kirsten, Angus and the others who live and work here, the Applecross Road is an important and time-saving shortcut. For Chris and all the others who come here because of the scenery and the good whiskey, it’s more of a breathtaking spectacle, an extreme road through magnificent nature. Fraser Island lies off the east coast of Australia. Running as straight as a die, here is the world’s only sand highway. It provides a unique driving experience for more than 100 kilometres. The route is always taxing and sometimes goes straight through surf. There’s an 80 kilometres an hour speed limit, but it’s only from the air that this natural track seems smooth and harmless. This 120 kilometre long stretch on an island washed by the Pacific Ocean offers adventure for anyone seeking an open road with no tailbacks or traffic lights. Werner Lorca is a photographer and professor at the University of Art and Design in Offenbach, Germany. He’s already explored the Australian outback in a four-wheel drive vehicle several times. But what does he, and others, find so appealing about the Sand highway? Even here in Australia, there’s no opportunity to do beach work, as the Australians call it. In other words, just let rip over such a long distance. There’s nowhere else you can do that in Australia. Apart from the odd danger that might be lurking, it is a very special situation and a unique driving experience. Ultimately, his business concept was based on the extreme wear and tear vehicles suffer through seawater, salt and sand. A real market niche. Ordinary rental firms usually have brand new cars. So, naturally, they don’t want them to be driven on Fraser Island. We have older models that are very strong. We prepare them for the island with higher suspensions, wider tyres and so on. There are no carpets in them, just an engine and transmission. Everything’s mechanical. In the long run, that’s much better on Fraser Island. Matt, as the Swiss is known to everyone here, runs a fleet of 20 land rovers and range Rovers. He services and repairs them in his own workshop. The demand for used models of this kind has long been high. Most owners keep hold of their robust off-roaders, even if they rarely drive them, but Matt knows exactly where to look. Using a detailed map, Matt explains the special features and risks of the Beach highway to all his customers. Drivers with a thirst for adventure also have to watch a 45-minute video, which clearly stresses all the different dangers. You must wear your seatbelt at all times. One problem is that on sand, young people, in particular, try to do crazy things like spinning the car. But that doesn’t work on sand. It’s not like on snow, where you can spin a car right round and carry on. On sand, at some point, the wheels will dig in and the vehicle will flip over. It soon becomes clear why only four-wheel drive vehicles are allowed on Fraser Island. The beach highway isn’t all sand. The first 20 kilometers run through rainforest with giant trees. It’s a fascinating stretch, rich in variety. Anyone who’s just spent the last hour and a half being shaken to and fro is delighted to finally see an almost endless expanse ahead. For Europeans, it’s an unaccustomed, exciting motoring experience on a route constantly being changed by the tide. Vano Loka knows the beach highway well. There are no more than a handful of road signs, and you always have to remember that in Australia… They drive on the left. Motorists on the beach highway are automatically confronted with other vagaries and peculiarities. Even 80 kilometers an hour can be dangerous if you suddenly drive into soft, wind-blown sand, covering what is a corrugated surface. Basically, you have to feel your way, almost like someone steering a boat. You have to notice. How the car is reacting and, if necessary, countersteer. The Beach Highway certainly has many faces. Local rental firms recommend reducing the tyre pressure a little. This gives the tyres greater contact with the ground and enables the car to cope better with really soft, flour-like sand. Some people drive with only one bar of pressure, or even less, in their tyres. Since even that might not be enough, there are always shovels and sand ladders. Basic equipment on every vehicle here, because it’s a case of moving the car before the tide comes in. The moment you turn the wheels too much, you actually start to push the sand in front of you. That’s when the car can easily turn over. In just a few minutes, what started out as a harmless drive on the beach can turn into something totally different. The tide can alter the surface in next to no time. It takes only a few minutes for a 4×4 to sink into the sand and water and become scrap. A vast expanse seemingly limited solely by sand and the sea. Basically, this is a long, straight strip of wet sand. Since it’s totally different from what they’re used to. This form of motoring appeals to a lot of people, but the Beach Highway shouldn’t be underestimated. And no one should ever drive it on their own, not even in brilliant sunshine. A lot of tourists can get themselves into trouble if they get up a bit too much speed, especially if they’re a bit top-heavy. But generally, yeah, the traffic’s pretty constant along here. We pull up with the children and stuff, and it’s not like you can sit back and relax all the time. You’ve sort of got to watch, just like a normal highway. But, yeah, it’s a great beach to drive on, like the best I’ve been on in Australia. Young people, in particular, love the casual way you can drive on the beach highway. You quickly learn whether or not you can control a heavy off-roader on sand. We didn’t stuck. But sometimes, you know, the clutch is a jump too fast and then the car is just stuck in the middle of nowhere. And you need to get your all together, and, you know, to relax, deep breath and just turn it on and get into it. Keep going. The youngsters are thrilled by the blend of freedom and the unique feeling of driving on sand. 4×4 adventures on the beach. It’s a different kind of driving experience. Back home, we nearly always take the motorway or main roads. That’s actually become boring, but this is a real experience to take home with us. Not so long ago, there were no speed restrictions on the Beach highway on Fraser Island. The island with fatal consequences. Basically, about seven years ago, people used to just hire the vehicles to overseas paying people. They would bring their vehicles over here by themselves, and they would basically get caught by these booby traps on the beach and roll their vehicles over. and, yeah, kill people. So basically, now the government’s stepped in and and put in the Tagalongs in place. So all the people do still get their driving experience. But they’re not in harm’s way, as they’re following a guide or a driver that is highly qualified in driving on these beach and know the beach very well, basically. Anyone who wants to experience the beach highway without getting behind the wheel themselves can book a ride in one of the 4×4 coaches. That show tourists the spectacular places on the world’s biggest island. The gentle rocking motion is quite pleasant and passengers don’t have to take any risks. They can experience the island’s beauty in air-conditioned comfort. Today, Brock Harris is on a training trip. He explains to the driver what the passengers want, an adventure experience, but… Under controlled conditions. Every day it’s a little bit of a different challenge. You might have had a creek crossing one day. That’s beautiful and smooth. Next day it’s a big drop off. So you’ve always been aware. But being up high in the truck, it does make it a bit easier. But sometimes, some days, you’re like, wow. The whole beach, sometimes on a high tide, with a cyclone, and the full moon, brings it up a lot quicker. You might be driving, you know, for 20 kilometres in water the whole way, remembering from the day before, where the… The nice water crossings way, sort of thing. Anyone unfamiliar with the beach will run the risk of driving in front of the rocks that lurk beneath the waves when the tide is in. For tourists, the route back from the water line is fairly strenuous, but it is the safer option. You get the feeling there’s a fairly large hole here. But you can’t see down into it. You’ve got to get out and poke a stick into it to make sure that there are no nasty surprises lurking. The 70-mile Beach highway at 6 in the morning. This isn’t an ELK test, nor is Paul driving his 4×4 Mitsubishi after having had a drink or two. He’s weaving to and fro to check the surface. It’s a ground inspection he does every morning. If he’s happy with the surface, he hammers in metal struts and sets up his markers. The runway for his company’s aircraft is now ready, in the middle of the highway. In the early morning, takeoffs and landings are no problem. But after sunrise, motorists and pilots use the track together. Yeah, people who don’t know we’re operating here, that can be a problem sometimes, as they don’t really see the plane when we’re coming in to land. So there’s a hazard there and we need to go around occasionally. Usually, it doesn’t happen. Yeah, I’ve seen some funny reactions, cars swerving off and people, you know, not everyone but a couple do hit a wave. Cars on the highway are stopped when a plane is about to take off or land. Tourists often book a 20 minute flight over the island at a cost of 60 euros. Seeing it from above is a change from the usual perspective. Pilots know the view, but they still have to reassess the dangers every day. Firstly, the beach always changes. So a lot of the times it’s different in the morning than it was the previous afternoon. So we’re faced with a lot of mounds that form in the middle of the evening. There’s also washouts, so the freshwater creeks run out in the evening and they can make lifts on the creeks there. That’s very dangerous, that can shear off the landing gear for us. And also there’s a lot of what we like to call the melon holes. So it’s potholes, really, but they’re in very close proximity to each other. And that can be very dangerous as well, especially for the tyres. But the cars also, yeah, you don’t want to hit that with a car. The beach highway has to be shared by all who use it. The local pilots with visitors in off-road vehicles, cyclists with anglers and walkers. To be on the safe side, some drivers get out when they reach one of the freshwater creeks. And first check the depth of the water on foot and look for the right place to cross before proceeding. Others prefer to take the direct route and stay at the wheel. Because anyone leaving their car here should be very careful and be on the lookout for dingoes. Australia’s wild dogs live on and alongside the highway. They’re an attraction, but at the same time a threat. In 2001, dingoes on Fraser Island killed a nine-year-old boy and injured another youth. Since then, signs warn visitors never to feed the animals and certainly not to try stroking them. Nor should they run away, because that arouses the hunting instinct of the 160 or so dingoes that live on Fraser Island. The wild dogs can be seen easily and safely from inside a vehicle. The 120 kilometer long drive on sand from the south end of the island to this cliff is a trip full of surprises. The beach highway along the east coast of Fraser Island ends here at Indian Head. The route continues to be a major attraction for thousands who are tired of always driving on asphalt. The 75 mile long Beach highway might not be the most dangerous road in the world, but it certainly is one of the wackiest. Whether we’re talking about the Applecross Road in Scotland, the Skippers Canyon Road in New Zealand, or the world’s only beach highway on Australia, Extreme routes make great demands on drivers and travelers. But their location? The conditions they present and their history spell far more than just a way of getting from A to B. Whoever drives them will find adventure and a bit of freedom set against the magnificent backdrop of nature. .

Déroulement de la vidéo:
1.6 Roads are more than just grey strips of asphalt dividing up the landscape.
6.92 All over the world, roads are communication routes linking important places.
13.96 They can be seen as the prerequisite for human coexistence. It was only through the construction of roads that trade and travel became possible.
21.56 For centuries now, roads have been a rich source of tales and history, but some of them harbour dangers,
27.12 death and a lot of human suffering. Worldwide, in the 20th century alone, some 35 million people lost their lives on roads and a further 1.5 billion were injured.
36.96 What this man says applies to far too many routes.
47.84 Some of the world’s most dangerous roads are located in the mountains, far away from civilization.
53.56 Others, totally congested and seemingly devoid of any order, run through towns and villages or through major cities.
74.28 Some roads were built under appalling conditions by slave labourers and prisoners of war.
79.88 Others are even in the grip of evil spirits, which, so the locals believe, kill travellers.
85.36 Roads overcome mountains and force travelers to look down into chasms, or they bridge them.
91.48 Roads are the arteries of humankind, its cities, and its economies.
97.24 Anyone traveling on roads where death stalks is taking a great risk. But usually,
102.6 there is no alternative.
114.52 Some roads are wide, splendid and famous. Others are merely nameless tracks.
120.68 No one knows where they begin or end. But this road in the Bolivian Andes, which links La Paz with the Yungas region in the tropical lowlands,
129.36 is not only a commercial route. For coca leaves, tropical fruit and electrical appliances,
135.04 it is a road full of adventure and tragic fates.
142.64 In Spanish, the road is called la Carretera de la Muerte, the Road of death, Because, sadly, if a bus or a person plunges 400 meters into the depth,
152.6 that’s it.
161.4 Dieter Huebner knows all about Bolivia’s road of death, not as an ordinary traveler, but as a keen racing driver.
169.08 As a small boy, together with his parents, a German father and a British mother, he came via the Netherlands to live here in the capital,
176.76 La Paz. That was in 1938.
191.04 Dieter was still young when he taped his starting number to his old Mercedes and, just for fun,
196.24 took part in his first race. And came second. From then on, the petrol in his veins really began to bubble.
203.16 While still employed as an electro-technician, Dieter began working on his career as a racing driver.
209.08 He won the Grand Prix in neighbouring Peru, performed well in the London to Mexico Rally and was twice winner of the Road of Death rally.
221.88 My father drove around here with me when I was young. I often had to take the wheel.
227.44 And he’d sometimes shout at me if I hadn’t changed gear smoothly.
241.76 This road links the capital, La Paz, with the Yungas region. Anyone setting out in this mountain region with peaks up to 5000 metres high, will pass this impressive warning symbol.
252.64 The Bolivian government had the monument built to draw travellers’ attention. To the dangers of the Yungas region.
265.04 The people of the Yungas region supply La Paz with agricultural produce every day.
270.16 And in stores in the capital, the inhabitants of its hinterland purchase flat-screen TVs,
275.28 which are in great demand, And other electrical goods that are not available in the mountain villages.
291.56 Thus, the Road of Death is also a lifeline and a trade route for the inhabitants of the capital,
296.88 La Paz, and the farmers in the remote mountain villages. Of the Yungas region.
310.2 For most people, there’s no alternative. It’s only U.S. bus drivers who actually drive through the Yungas region.
317.12 There’s perhaps a flight to Beni in the provinces, but that’s about all. There’s no other form of transport.
324.12 It’s the bus or nothing.
338.0 This bus terminal is used by everyone travelling into the mountain villages from La Paz.
343.36 The ticket sellers call out the destinations because there are no fixed departure times. Each bus only leaves when as many seats as possible have been filled and the luggage has been stored safely in the vehicle’s spacious hold.
355.92 The drivers all know that it is not only they who are taking a great risk on the road, because it’s not just goods they’re transporting,
362.96 but also human beings.
373.92 When you transport people here, you’re carrying a lot of responsibility.
381.36 We are really focused when we set off, with passengers sitting behind us.
389.16 Since we drive the roads once or twice a year, a week, we need to be really rested beforehand. You can’t afford to be tired at the wheel. There is no way you can do a round trip on these roads
406.32 in just one day. Two teachers and a commuter know what they’re in for.
415.68 We make the round trip from La Paz to the Yungas region every weekend. So I’m slowly getting used to the dangers.
424.24 I’ve never been in danger because I asked God to protect me.
430.64 I know it’s called the road of death, but nothing has ever happened to me, thank goodness. I try to keep calm.
443.12 The drivers don’t like to talk about the mixed feelings they get every time they set out for the Jungas region.
448.76 Many of them have already been involved in accidents there. At a checkpoint on the edge of town,
454.04 the police ask where the driver is heading to. They ask to see the vehicle documents and the driver’s license.
460.36 In an emergency, the authorities need to know whom to look for in the mountain region. The road claims two or three hundred victims every year.
469.12 Time and again, people disappear without trace, despite police checks.
478.64 Once the driver has passed through the checkpoint, it usually gets very quiet inside the bus. Some passengers keep an anxious eye on the weather,
485.72 others are simply tired after work, or they’re praying for a safe journey.
499.64 This is the kind of road the drivers in the South Yungas region can expect over the next few hours.
504.8 A cliff face on one side and a chasm on the other. The narrow, grey strip of road winds its way around the mountain,
511.68 kilometre after kilometre.
530.0 Even though the drivers know the road inside out, caution is still called for. The weather can change suddenly.
536.12 The men always have to be on the lookout for landslides and rockfalls.
546.6 I’ve been driving a bus through the Jungas region since I was a young man. That’s a good thing, because if you are only used to driving on normal roads in the lowlands,
557.36 and suddenly find yourself on these roads. You can easily lose your nerve.
562.8 So it’s good to become familiar with a dangerous road like this while you are still young.
568.8 One driver will have stronger nerves, while another will perhaps prepare more for the journey.
574.28 As for me, I’ve been driving on the most dangerous roads in Bolivia ever since I was a youth.
580.04 Practically my entire life.
588.88 It’s only a matter of time before the weight of buses and trucks causes parts of the road to crumble or heavy downpours erode the surface.
596.84 Nearly everyone talks about dangerous situations, collisions, and fears they’ve experienced.
602.32 Every bend harbors a risk, every trip could be your last. Isaac had one very sobering experience.
611.48 Now, he’s always accompanied by his wife, who usually prays during the journey.
624.28 It happened just after I had started work for the day. We were on our way to Cholomani when I collided with another bus on a blind bend.
634.52 Speed, of course, always plays a role in such accidents.
639.84 Because I was driving uphill and he was coming. Coming down, he couldn’t break hard enough from the bend, his bus started to swerve and
658.24 we collided.
670.2 An everyday experience that’s part and parcel of a risky job. At the same time,
675.28 Dieter Hübner is driving on the North Junges Road, nearly 2,000 meters higher up. This paved bypass was only opened in 2006.
684.44 When Dieter was still racing and rallying in the 70s and 80s, there were only dirt tracks up here.
690.0 Today, the old North Junges Road is only used by a few adventurers and, of course, former racing driver Dieter Hübner.
705.32 This is now the classic Jungas road. Many years ago, I used to race on it.
712.88 And on two occasions, I even won.
720.08 Dieter doesn’t compete anymore, but such is his passion for the road and the region that he still likes to motor up here.
726.88 Being on the road with this former racing driver is like taking a trip through Bolivia’s chequered history.
732.16 Political upheavals of the 1940s.
740.48 This is one of the deepest parts of the Jungas Gorge. It’s a steep drop of around 400 meters.
754.08 This is a monument to the politicians who were murdered here in 1944.
759.12 They were shot and their bodies thrown into the gorge. It wasn’t until many years later that they were found by a racing driver,
768.24 Alberto Del Capio, who competed in the 40s and 50s.
773.52 The corpses were still clothed and even had documents on them,
779.08 so it was possible to identify them.
786.24 Bolivia’s bloody revolutions are now history, but the dangerous roads in the Yungas region still claim many victims today.
793.08 The somber statistic for just three months reads 63 dead, 400 injured and 11 missing.
799.76 The officer of a famous firefighting unit, the Bomberos, gave us the details of one serious accident.
807.32 The bus was travelling along with no problem. But at this point, the driver lost control.
813.84 Instead of taking the bend, he drove straight on, came off the road and plunged into the gorge.
831.44 The worst accident I’ve experienced occurred on January 21st, 2013.
838.12 I got a call at 5 in the morning. Asking me to lend a hand. When I arrived at the scene,
844.04 it still wasn’t clear how many people had been injured. First of all, we rescued 26 bus passengers who were more or less seriously injured.
853.4 Then, in a depression, we found a three or four month old baby that was already dead.
862.32 It was just as bad finding victims whose bodies had been torn apart. My team and I managed to save one woman
869.88 who was pinned to a tree by a branch that had gone through her spine.
874.96 It took a massive effort to lift her out of the gorge, but we got her to hospital in time.
884.36 Spectacular rescue operations like that have earned the Bomberos heroic status in Bolivia.
890.56 Like most drivers, Isaac chews coca leaves when he’s at the wheel. They guard against fatigue and anxiety.
897.28 Here in the Yungas region, there are thousands of kokalé, as the coca farmers are called, and they are all legal. Coca leaves are an Indigenous natural product, like bananas, mangoes and coffee. When mixed with saliva in the mouth, the dried leaves release alkaloids, which deaden hunger sensations and help to combat fatigue and mountain sickness. Something
919.56 they’ve been useful for centuries. It was only the prosperous world of the West that began using the leaves to make cocaine. But for the Coca Lehrers,
928.04 the leaves are a basic element of life and a part of Andean culture. Farmers receive around 4 euros for a pound of coca leaves,
935.6 but those who produce cocaine from the harmless leaves earn millions.
951.08 Many people here believe that the road is cursed because in the 1930s it was built by Paraguayan prisoners of war.
958.28 They see that as the reason for the many victims. The heavily laden trucks and buses on their way to La Paz are supposed to drive as close as possible to the cliff face. To prevent even more of the road’s soft surface sliding down into the valley.
970.92 If passing is impossible, one vehicle has to reverse, sometimes for more than a kilometre.
981.76 Like its predecessors, the present Bolivian government tries to maintain the South Yungas Road.
986.88 But time and again, the torrential streams of the rainy season from November to March flush entire sections of it into the depths.
994.88 For the time being, there won’t be another bypass here, like the one on the North Yongeas Road.
1000.12 The villages of the hinterland are not important enough for such an expensive construction project.
1005.36 Consequently, every year, construction teams move out to repair the damage caused by landslides and to pave the road as best they can.
1013.12 So farmers will have to continue selling their fruit, coffee and coca in the capital, La Paz, after traveling there along the
1020.16 Carretera de la Muerte, the Road of death.
1044.04 Traveling by car in the Ivory Coast in West Africa can be very relaxing. Finished in 1964 and built mainly for politicians and diplomats,
1053.28 the highway between Abidjan and Nyamosukro is an extremely smooth ride.
1062.12 Once a year, Justin Zongo, a bus driver from Rüsselsheim in Germany, comes back to visit friends and relatives.
1069.04 But the road he has to take to the small village of Wawakru, 90 kilometers north of the capital, is strenuous and full of dangers.
1076.72 It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted.
1086.44 When Justin heads for his home village, he’s not on the luxury highway for very long. Outside the capital, roads like this are all too often the reality of driving in the Ivory Coast.
1106.04 My goodness, this year’s really bad. Oh, my lord.
1113.68 Jesus.
1121.4 You’ve got to know what to expect on roads in the Ivory Coast. And if you break down, you must be able to help yourself.
1128.24 Where traffic regulations are concerned, this is a totally different world. It’s wise to heed orders from the police and the military because…
1135.28 In 2010 and 2011, violent unrests resulted in hundreds of deaths.
1140.32 Getting around on roads here calls for courage, skill and, above all, the right vehicle.
1147.0 Justin knows where to look. Here, repair shops and car rental places are not housed somewhere,
1153.2 they’re out on the road. Justin knows exactly what kind of car he’s looking for.
1166.44 The BMW would be really good because it has rear-wheel drive.
1175.0 But the silver BMW still needs some work on it. And some of the other vehicles he’s offered are simply not an option for Justin.
1182.0 Fixed seats are the very least he needs for his trip. In the end, he decides to rent a comfortable French car.
1188.56 It might not have rear-wheel drive, but it does come with valid documents. Justin is assured that the vehicle is in excellent condition.
1196.76 In the mid 90s, he is told, the same model was even driven by President of France.
1202.04 The trip to the remote village of Ouawakourou is an adventure, but one Justin embarks on every year to see his family and friends.
1215.0 Even in the capital, you need all your wits about you. If you bump someone on the road…
1221.6 Or cause an accident, nobody’s going to come. No one gives a damn.
1226.92 Nobody asks to see your documents. Life here is a fight, a fight for survival.
1235.24 The first 60 kilometres in the early morning are easy. The road is paved, the temperature tolerable,
1240.8 and there are no bandits in sight. But the weather and the terrain are about to change.
1249.96 The rains make things difficult. You have to go up and down hills and that’s really dangerous. I hope I’ll make it and see my friends.
1257.28 But it’s going to be tough.
1264.36 This is the exit on the highway to get to the village of Wawakraw. The road is not signposted,
1269.76 nor is there any indication of the distance. Out in the bush, you have to know your way around,
1275.04 otherwise you’ll never find the right place to cross over and leave the highway. For the next few days,
1280.44 this will be the last time Justin feels asphalt under his wheels on his way to and from Wawakru.
1286.44 Anyone traveling on four wheels here in the Bush is either looking for adventure or has to work hard for a living.
1299.8 Gibral is 40. That’s also the age of the military truck he’s been driving through the bush to plantations ever since 2006.
1307.48 Remote villages and communities pay him to fetch cocoa and other products from the hinterland.
1321.88 It’s a tough job, but Jibril thanks God for it every day and prays to him for help.
1331.56 Driving into the bush at all is difficult and dangerous, but the rainy season is a real problem for us.
1337.68 Driving up some hills in the mud, you simply slide back down. If you’re not careful,
1343.08 your truck can even flip over.
1348.76 Or trees toppled by the wind could land on your roof.
1354.0 No one here can afford their own car. People get around on foot. The odd motorbike might be able to cope with the conditions,
1361.44 but there’s no guarantee. Anyone who is sick or injured has to be carried out of the village on a homemade stretcher.
1367.64 Even turning the stubborn truck on the narrow road fringed by plants is exhausting work.
1374.88 Djibril spent three years as a co-driver before he was allowed to drive in the bush on his own.
1393.96 Every downpour washes away the sides of the road more and more. Even when it’s dry, Apart from the army trucks with their high chassis,
1401.52 no one here drives on four wheels, neither uphill nor downhill.
1406.56 Apart, that is, from Gibral. On every trip, he bangs his head several times, sometimes on the roof,
1412.48 sometimes on the window and sometimes on the mirror. But in low gear, he has to keep his foot down.
1418.04 Otherwise, he’ll never make it.
1438.88 In pouring rain or when the truck is carrying a full load, the route is always arduous and painful.
1444.84 All Gibral can do is pray. After years behind the wheel, he readily admits that his job is a mixture of experience,
1452.32 technique and divine assistance.
1458.52 This road is an absolute beast, but sometimes, if I haven’t driven it for a week, I miss it.
1465.16 But then, when I have to drive it again, I get scared. Afterwards, I’m all in,
1470.44 simply exhausted. In his black limousine,
1476.8 Justin is pressing on. The sun is high and the outside temperature has now risen to 34 degrees.
1482.96 But inside the vehicle, it’s at least 50. The blistering heat and the constant rocking are tiring.
1489.68 Anyone who gets careless and loses control can easily roll their car. Even though Justin knows the route well,
1495.88 it’s still full of obstacles and surprises.
1502.6 Last time he came along here, this bridge was in better condition.
1514.4 Last time, this lock was over there. How do I get across? I’m not sure I should risk it.
1522.0 If the car gets stuck… I’ve got a real problem. The locks haven’t been laid properly,
1528.52 so there’s a danger of the car slipping off. There are gaps everywhere. The
1534.92 BMW would have been better. But unfortunately,
1541.0 I have to watch how much I spend.
1555.68 The comfortable French model isn’t exactly the right car for this terrain, but the choice of vehicles wasn’t great. And besides,
1562.4 as a bus driver, Justin’s funds are limited. The front-wheel drive doesn’t like the round logs on the bridge.
1569.0 Soon there’s smoke and the unmistakable smell of burning wood and rubber. Nevertheless,
1574.64 after a few unsuccessful attempts, Justin makes it across the bridge, after all.
1579.84 He heads on through the bush and the rubber plantations, always in a north-westerly direction.
1585.48 Anyone who comes this far will find land that has been cleared of forest for agriculture. If it weren’t for the road,
1590.84 people say, nothing would ever change here. Without a proper road, produce could never reach the processing firms and consumers,
1598.68 and that is only one of the country’s problems.
1620.32 Shortages, deprivation and poverty. Apart from poorly paid work in the fields, the countryside offers hardly any prospects,
1627.68 especially for young people. Driven by hunger, these boys are digging in the earth right next to the road.
1633.96 With a bit of luck, they might catch one of the inhabitants of this rabbit, warren, because for most families,
1639.0 meat is rarely on the menu. Around 16% of the children here are underweight.
1644.36 Life expectancy is no more than 57 years. But despite all their efforts, these lads will have to go without extra protein once again.
1673.76 While the boys are heading for home, disappointed, Justin is having even more problems. This time, he’s stuck.
1680.2 The mud hole has proved too much for a front-wheel drive car with moderate tyres. A few workers are trying to get him out.
1686.64 They’re not worried about getting dirty. They all lend a hand. Out here, people all help one another.
1692.16 That’s the rule of the road.
1699.28 If someone needs help, I don’t have to ask him what the problem is. I just lend a hand. I have to help. Here in Africa,
1704.84 it’s an obligation. Half pulling, half pushing,
1710.56 everyone pitches in. And at some point, the Peugeot really does emerge from the mud.
1716.2 It’s a duty to help out on the road. Justin also knows that people here don’t have much and are grateful for an extra bit of cash,
1722.88 so he obliges. But no one can tell him how far it is to the next village. Out here,
1727.92 it’s times that matter. We don’t judge distances in terms of kilometres.
1733.24 We use time. A walk, say, from seven to midday. That’s how we describe distance, not in kilometres.
1741.24 The sun is at its zenith, and the heat of the car is oppressive. After countless bends,
1746.32 hills and clouds of dust, Justin has finally reached the village of Wawakroo.
1753.88 The entire population has turned out in welcome. Everyone wants to greet the rare guest personally.
1769.36 That’s always the case. Everyone wants to know how Justin is getting on as a bus driver in Europe.
1774.52 What he does and how he lives. Justin patiently explains every detail to the men of the village.
1780.48 He answers all the questions about his job, about the living conditions, the snow and road traffic in Europe.
1787.08 His friends want him to stay longer, and each time they all find it hard to say goodbye. But Justin knows he has to leave now.
1797.0 You can’t drive fast on this road, anyway. You have to take it slowly. And bandits are always lying in wait.
1803.8 They demand money. And they’re armed. It’s really dangerous.
1811.92 So Justin takes only short breaks. Up to now, he has always been lucky.
1817.24 He avoids unpleasant encounters as far as possible. He eats and drinks at the wheel and only gets out in an emergency.
1827.28 In the village, it’s afternoon and the last sacks of cocoa for the day are being loaded. The truckers, too.
1833.04 Are glad for every day that passes without incident.
1841.76 Justin is tired but relieved to be back on the highway again. When he finally reaches the repair shop,
1847.76 mechanics, the car, rental man and some onlookers are already waiting.
1852.92 Two days ago, they were joking about who would wilt first, the Peugeot or Justin, but now they’re all curious.
1859.52 Justin loves his job. As a bus driver in Germany, where he says the roads are pure luxury.
1865.08 His family and friends are looking forward to Justin coming back next year. Then, he hopes he’ll be able to get hold of a BMW with rear wheel drive for the trip to Wawakru, or even an off-road vehicle.
1898.88 With its dense forests and steep mountains, traveling in the Caucasus has always been dangerous.
1904.96 Where Georgia borders on Chechnya and Dagestan, and the mountain people are called the Tusheti,
1910.6 a road has been carved out of the rock. The Tusheti Road, a breathtaking route of wild beauty.
1924.92 Heiner Buhr came to Georgia 15 years ago in search of adventure. It was out of pure curiosity that he first travelled along this road to Omelo,
1933.76 the load bed of a military truck.
1948.8 This road always stirs a whole gamut of feelings in you.
1957.76 That initial curiosity soon became a passion. Today, Heinebuehr organizes adventure and cultural tours in Georgia.
1965.96 He’s driven the Tosheti Road so many times, but he remains well aware of its many dangers.
1973.56 You always need to have total concentration and be prepared for the unexpected.
1979.16 That might be a rock fall or a sudden change in the weather. It might start snowing, for instance.
1985.04 You might come across mud holes or a load of scree that has slid down, partly blocking the road.
1991.96 Then you have to decide whether you can just about get through. Should I risk it or should I turn back?
1998.72 Can I risk it or do I have to turn around?
2004.88 When Toschetti and the Lowlands visit their relatives in the mountains, they hire local drivers who are familiar with the Toschetti Road.
2012.6 Valeri used to play here as a child. Later, he’d gallop round the hazardous bends on horseback.
2018.52 Even today, he drives very close to the edge, taking anyone prepared to pay 100 euros for a trip into the mountains of the Caucasus.
2030.72 Many truck drivers who call themselves professionals are scared of driving up here in the Tusheti Mountains,
2036.68 But there really is a big difference between driving down in the lowlands and driving up here.
2045.84 Whenever two vehicles pass up here, the drivers always stop and chat about what the road looks like over the next few kilometers.
2052.72 Because up here there is no cell phone reception. It wasn’t until 1978 that the Soviets blasted a road out of the rock.
2060.76 Before then, the Tusheti Road was, at best, a trail that was only accessible to hikers and riders in summer.
2071.44 No one has ever counted how many people have died on this road.
2080.36 It was only recently that plaques were put up to commemorate those killed in accidents.
2085.44 Valery showed us the place where, in 2010, a momentary lapse of concentration cost the life of three of his friends.
2100.24 They came off the road in fog and plunged 70 meters into the gorge. Ever since then, Valery has unbuckled his seatbelt whenever he drives into the mountains.
2111.12 It has nothing to do with macho behavior. I do it because I think it’s safer.
2116.16 Up here, you can sometimes hear danger before you actually see it. If there’s a landslide,
2121.96 for instance, you can get out of the car faster if you’re not wearing a seatbelt.
2127.44 You gain precious seconds. It’s as simple as that.
2145.44 The 4,000 or so Tusheti in the far northeast of Georgia are regarded as a proud, perhaps headstrong people who’ve always been keen motorists,
2153.56 even under Soviet rule.
2186.2 And sold off the precious metal. Without electricity, the region now seems really archaic and fairly isolated,
2193.08 but the unspoiled beauty of nature here is impressive. We’re now approaching the Abano Pass.
2200.92 The road is getting narrower and the rock face steeper and steeper. Anyone who lives here for some time soon learns the laws that apply on and off the road.
2211.52 If you encounter a driver coming from the opposite direction, and he’s carrying, say,
2216.68 a hundred liters of wine, you both stop. He invites you and the next half or three quarters of an hour are spent chatting and drinking.
2225.96 Before saying goodbye and getting back to the road, you make a toast to the Lord and the road itself.
2232.96 And to the memory of those who have died on it. It all goes together. The danger,
2238.84 faith and also the drinking. Not to drink is to violate every custom.
2246.08 So often, there’s no getting around having a glass or two.
2257.28 This is the only building far and wide, a house made of natural stone on the edge of the Toschetti Road.
2263.52 It’s home to a man known to everyone as Uncle Scott, together with a deputy and a colleague.
2268.92 He works just below the Abano Pass for the Georgian Department of Roads. In the mornings,
2273.96 a shot of vodka is just as much part of breakfast here as fresh bread and the local sheep’s cheese.
2279.64 Uncle Scott has been working up here for nearly 40 years, ensuring that the road remains somehow passable,
2285.6 at least from June to October. On the agenda for today is a once-over for a vehicle that has been in service for as long as Uncle Scott himself.
2296.72 As real tractoristi… He and his colleagues know every screw on the steel workhorse.
2302.68 So, naturally, they are able to keep the old tractor, as they call it, in perfect shape.
2308.64 Every driver that comes past drops in to say hello to Uncle Scott and tell him about any glacier or rockfall that has descended and is blocking the road.
2318.4 Scott will then climb aboard his tractor and push whatever is in the way down the slope.
2324.32 Up here, 3,000 metres above sea level, there are no trees anymore, just rocks, ice and solitude.
2334.72 You always have in mind that you’re totally dependent on your vehicle, on everything working perfectly.
2342.76 No ruptured pipes or leads, resulting in you losing brake fluid.
2347.8 Or your power steering. And you want everything that is mechanical to function flawlessly.
2354.0 Up here, 80 kilometers from the next town, there’s no one to help you.
2363.72 A year ago, a wealthy Russian broke down in his 4×4, so it had to be airlifted into neighboring Chechnya by helicopter.
2371.8 That operation, as locals here will tell you with a smile, cost just as much as the vehicle itself.
2376.96 So… You need to look after your car and keep it in good condition. On the other hand, you can’t afford to be too sensitive about it. On the Tuschetti road.
2385.28 Motorists share the route with lots of animals, and they are every bit as important to the Tuschetti as sheet metal on four wheels is to others.
2397.2 This is where a cow scraped past and dented my car, just like the horse that couldn’t handle this. Bent once did.
2404.68 You see? It’s only small, but fixing it cost 200 euros.
2410.28 But on the summit of the Urbano, rockfalls or avalanches can quickly have totally different consequences.
2422.28 My cell phone shows an altitude of 2869 meters. The official figure is 2870 meters.
2432.48 On the other side of the Urbano, it has got warmer. Uncle Scott and his men have their hands full. Because when the meltwater builds up pressure on the slate rock,
2440.92 danger threatens.
2454.72 The thaw and erosion have caused a huge slab of rock to shear off. It looks like it might have happened only an hour ago.
2462.08 At first glance, I thought we’d never be able to get… Passed. But on closer inspection, I saw that three of my wheels still had solid ground under them, so we were able to make our way across. The rocks. Have really sharp edges and on the left, we had to watch that they didn’t slit open our tires. I’ve
2481.16 checked and the tires have suffered some cuts, but they’re basically okay. We just have to make sure that nothing else comes crashing down here.
2491.96 The Tuscheti Road seems to have a magical appeal for adventurers, despite, or perhaps because of,
2498.4 its dangers. This is an overland trip, no? Greece, Turkey, Iran,
2504.32 Armenia, now Georgia, a little piece of Russia, Yalta, Ukraine, Romania,
2510.04 Serbia, Croatia. The man has got nerves.
2515.48 He’s not fazed by the sharp edges of the rocks. After all, he plans to visit all those places.
2520.68 In 40 days.
2529.56 Naturally, there are a whole host of stories associated with the road. One involves a young driver in a landslide.
2537.08 The Tuschetti Road follows a kind of serpentine shape, and one day a landslide broke loose.
2543.4 As it cascaded down over various sections of the road, this young driver said afterwards he heard this loud, roaring sound and slammed on the brakes.
2553.76 Then, just 50 meters ahead of him, the landslide plowed across the road. A few meters further on and he would have been killed.
2561.6 Strokes of fate like that are commonplace here.
2569.96 At some times of the year, people and animals are on the Toschetti Road at the same time. Especially in August.
2575.8 Thousands of sheep. Cattle and horses are driven down into the valley. Heine Buhr documents every trip on the Toschetti Road.
2587.64 He photographs dangerous sections of the road or places where the view is particularly beautiful,
2593.24 like it is at the end of the road at the fortress in Omalo.
2601.52 From there, theoretically, you can only continue on foot, and even then, only in the summer months,
2606.56 in June, July, August and September. Beyond these white mountains lies Chechnya.
2611.96 These jagged, snowy peaks belong to Dagestan, and Dagestan is part of Russia.
2627.36 This is one of the most beautiful roads in the world.
2633.24 The word caucasus comes from the Greek. It means shining mountain ice, or white as snow.
2639.24 Anyone prepared to accept the challenges of the Tichetti Road between May and September is rewarded with the wild,
2645.64 breathtaking beauty of an unspoiled mountain landscape.
2651.12 Some of the dangers on roads have natural causes. Travellers are under threat from the climate,
2656.4 avalanches and landslides. Other risk factors include family duties, pressure at work,
2662.24 and social hardship. They force people to take a risk in getting from A to B every day.
2668.88 Other dangers can be put down to human error, like a lack of concentration or a mistake at the wheel.
2675.08 But simple bad luck can also mean tragedy on the roads of death.
2693.6 The Salang tunnel in Afghanistan is a horrific road through dust and ice in Taliban country.
2699.8 Anyone taking this route through the Hindu Kush is challenging fate.
2708.76 This tunnel really scares me.
2717.52 If a tanker explodes in a tunnel like this, there’s no escape. No way you can save yourself.
2724.28 You’ve had it. The three kilometre long tunnel at an altitude of 3,900 metres is only one of many risks on the Salang Road,
2742.68 the only route from Kabul, the capital, to northern Afghanistan. Landslides and avalanches along with roadside booby traps are among the many dangers that make the route more than just an arduous challenge.
2755.44 There are many good reasons for avoiding the Salang Road, but anyone wanting to transport goods and raw materials to supply the Afghan capital or to travel to northern Afghanistan has no alternative.
2780.28 In Afghanistan, Ali Asgharlali is a national hero and sporting role model.
2785.6 An ex-member and coach of the Afghan National Football Team and former General Secretary of the Afghan Football Association,
2792.0 he now works for the German FA, helping to develop school and mass sport in Afghanistan from grassroots right up to the men’s and women’s national teams.
2802.48 Ali travels the length and breadth of Afghanistan, furthering the development of boys and girls through sports and educational projects.
2810.0 As a child, he himself used to travel on the load bed of trucks, but those days are long gone.
2815.84 Today, the Salang Road too is no place for carefree outings. Travelling on roads in Afghanistan is always risky.
2823.12 There’s a general fear of terrorist attacks. Vehicles of all kinds are filled with explosives,
2828.64 driven into crowds of people and detonated. The state informs its citizens via SMS about curfews and travel restrictions in the country.
2838.24 The messages are short and clear. No movements from 6 a.m. Travel impossible.
2845.76 And when travel is permitted, strict controls are imposed to protect people. Cars, bicycles and even pedestrians are searched at checkpoints for weapons and explosives.
2855.12 Time and again, suicide bombers kill innocent civilians. Explosive devices can be concealed by the roadside,
2861.36 which detonate when a car drives over them. The situation is made even worse by the fact that…
2866.4 Because they are afraid of being blown up as far as possible, most motorists drive in the middle of the road.
2876.32 Taking this road has become very dangerous. Accidents occur every day with many fatalities.
2888.4 There are no road signs to regulate traffic. People drive any way they want.
2893.72 There is no speed limit. Many drive too fast. This narrow road with its many bends sometimes sees the most horrific deadly accidents.
2911.48 This mangled wreckage gives a stark indication of the dramas that can unfold on the Solang Road.
2928.72 Dramas caused by blind bends, poor surfaces and drivers who have good reason for fearing roadside bombs.
2936.12 But if they are somehow to survive, people here have to travel and go to work. Many drivers on the Salang Road are good mechanics,
2943.52 but those who can’t help themselves are stuck, at least for a few days. And up here, with no cell phone reception,
2949.92 no water and no food, that can prove disastrous. What’s more, there are also armed bandits,
2956.12 sometimes wearing stolen police uniforms. who don’t hesitate to open fire. They steal trucks and their loads.
2963.16 Time and again, truckers are killed when they’re ambushed or drive over an explosive device.
2979.96 38-year-old Rasikon comes from Pakistan. All the men in the car are from Pakistan. His family, his father, his brothers and his grandfather are truck drivers.
2987.12 If everything goes smoothly, they cover the 400 kilometres from Islamabad to the Afghan border in 28 hours.
2993.44 Four men share the driving day and night.
3000.56 With their metal bells and fluttering black cloths, Pakistani trucks are masterpieces of decoration.
3006.88 The cloths are designed to ward off the evil eye and to confuse anyone staring at them. the truck for too long and without reason.
3013.48 That’s what truckers here believe and they seek spiritual support.
3019.12 The road is incredibly bad and dangerous. In many places it’s just scree.
3024.36 The security forces on the road can’t stand us truckers. They insult us and hit us if we break down.
3030.44 Recently I wanted to drive through the icy tunnel but even though I had chains on two of my 12 wheels I still couldn’t get any perches on the road.
3039.04 So I had to walk through the tunnel. and come back with four more chains. They were incredibly heavy.
3044.76 I just about made it.
3050.48 Large sections of the Salang Road are not paved. Many trucks don’t even make it when the road is dry.
3057.36 And in snow and ice, some truckers just slide down the mountain with their foot permanently jammed on the brake.
3062.76 When that happens, the road becomes a nightmare.
3073.44 Once we got stuck for a whole week, we just couldn’t go on. It was really cold with snow everywhere. Up here,
3078.92 you’re at the end of the world, you can’t buy anything. So the only food is what you’ve brought with you. It was a really dangerous situation.
3085.8 I’m glad we didn’t starve or freeze to death. I thought the snowstorm was going to kill us.
3099.16 The truckers prepare for bad weather. They take emergency rations and water with them.
3104.48 But even before the strenuous climb into the mountains begins, they’re threatened by a totally different scenario.
3110.08 In recent years, more than 60 men have been killed in attacks on trucks. Shootings and kidnappings even occur during the daytime.
3124.48 A year ago, for instance, you couldn’t drive after two in the afternoon because lots of people were being abducted by the Taliban.
3131.52 Many were even killed.
3137.6 When the weather is fine, some might find the wild beauty of the landscape somehow exhilarating. But up here,
3143.48 it always pays to be vigilant.
3150.88 For example, if you’re travelling with bodyguards, or if you’ve already made it known that you’re on a certain mission that might offend the Taliban.
3164.8 If, for instance, they know that you plan to do something involving women’s football,
3170.56 that could be dangerous. »
3177.76 Ali has often been threatened. If he didn’t stop coaching girls, he was told, something would happen to him.
3183.28 When he received that threat back in 2009, he left Afghanistan for a while.
3191.16 In the meantime, a tailback has occurred in one of the galleries. The access road to the actual tunnel,
3196.4 which is protected against rockfall, is blocked. That’s not a good sign. Suddenly there’s a lot of shouting from inside.
3203.36 Drivers are milling around. Many of them are frightened. They all know what can happen on the Salang Road.
3224.72 There are no rules here. In this tight situation things can easily get out of control.
3230.2 On one side a tractor unit with a defective transmission has broken down in the tunnel. Two trailers in the middle of the tunnel have got their loads caught.
3267.12 At the other end, a military convoy is exerting pressure. The soldiers couldn’t care less if some load or other has got snagged.
3274.04 They want to get through and are harassing the drivers. It doesn’t matter to them if the bodywork gets scratched.
3279.72 This is everyday life in the tunnel. While a few drivers are still trying to get through, While working on the transmission, the traffic is able to squeeze past.
3291.56 A few shovelfuls of sand on the frozen surface and things can at last get going again.
3297.4 Everyone just wants to get out of the gallery and the close confines of the tunnel.
3317.4 Rasaghan, our Pakistani truck driver, finally reaches the next gallery. And this is the view he has of the road.
3324.4 It’s an extremely strenuous trip. The route demands great concentration, especially with regard to oncoming traffic.
3331.44 Ali too is glad every time he drives out of the oppressive darkness and can head on to his football project in the north.
3358.92 There are just as many trucks on the road on the other side of the tunnel. This route carries all the goods traffic from Pakistan through northern Afghanistan and on to Kabul.
3372.28 When you’re gone over the Salang Pass, the road is a disaster.
3377.6 It’s full of huge ruts caused by the excessive weight of the trucks that use it.
3388.48 Between seven and eight thousand trucks struggle through the tunnel every day. But no one keeps a record of the ones that don’t make it.
3396.16 How many break down or are involved in an accident? It’s said that before 2014,
3402.08 when thousands of ISAF troops were still in the country, around 16,000 trucks used the Solang Road every day.
3410.32 The sparse remnants of the asphalt surface bear sad testimony to the time. In some places the ruts are so deep
3417.24 that vehicles heading downhill are almost impossible to steer.
3425.84 This man is the guardian of a memorial site. In the 1990s, he had to flee to Iran because of the Taliban.
3432.32 In 2003, he and his family returned in a bus, but he was the only one to survive the trip.
3442.0 We were coming along here when our driver misjudged. the steepness of the road and lost control.
3451.68 Our bus collided with a tanker coming uphill and exploded.
3458.76 28 men, women and children were killed.
3464.4 I was the only survivor. Today I live in Masai Sharif.
3471.88 But I often come here to tend to the memorial site. I get buy-on donations.
3477.52 On Fridays, many people come here to pray for the many innocent victims of this road.
3493.44 The road is already in a pitiful state and the snow makes everything a lot worse, the old man says.
3499.0 He asks drivers on the route for a few Afghani. Small donation for him and the monument.
3504.56 Truckers like Rasikhan use this road to supply Kabul with fruit and vegetables and to take raw materials like coal back to Pakistan,
3512.68 Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan. On each trip, Rasikhan earns around $200.
3519.52 With that, he can make ends meet. But his income comes from a risky profession.
3524.6 No one wants to hang around here any longer than is absolutely necessary.
3531.6 Afghanistan, a country somewhere between war and peace, surrounded by mountains.
3536.84 It is dependent on the arduous link the Salang Road provides between the capital, the northern part of the country and Pakistan.
3544.84 For truckers, for football expert Ali Lali, and all the others who have to continue using the road,
3551.68 it means driving at the limit every time.
3571.64 The Moloto road in northern Pretoria. Death lurks on this road and people fear it.
3577.4 But for many there is no alternative. They have to travel on it by day and by night.
3583.28 The route has seen so much suffering and tragedy. It is even said to be possessed by evil spirits and demons.
3590.2 With anger in their voices some pray for an end to the many fatal accidents on the Moloto road.
3596.64 Others are virtually overwhelmed by pain and desperation, like this man.
3616.76 His sister was hit by a car at dusk and dragged 50 meters. She died by the roadside.
3622.52 That was in 2012. At first glance, the Moloto road is just a narrow strip of tarmac linking Johannesburg and Pretoria with the barren hinterland of
3632.16 Npumalanga in the north.
3639.56 Jobs in the north, with its weak infrastructure, are scarce. So it’s quite common for people living in places like Frischgewaagd or Kwaagefontein to commute 200 kilometers to and from work every day.
3662.36 Sifu Masombuka is a journalist with the Pretoria Times. He uses the Malotto road every day.
3668.68 Sifo comes from the area. For years now he’s been writing about the traffic problem, about accidents and the people involved in them.
3675.84 He’d always been close to danger through his job, but what Sifo experienced in 2013 changed his life completely.
3683.68 Something that will stick with me for the rest of my life, you know, seeing people’s heads rolling on the tar,
3692.88 and the most horrific was… You know, when people had to go there to identify their relatives,
3702.32 they told me that they were picking up legs just to mesh the shoe, to say, OK, this must be my daughter’s leg,
3710.24 because it is the same shoe. So it was horrific.
3716.2 This is a terrible spot for Sifo, one he tries to avoid. Now we are approaching the spot where…
3725.48 30 people from my village died and my friends.
3734.96 On the morning of November 12th 2013, a tipper truck like this one, a lorry, a car and a bus were all involved in that horrific accident which hit the headlines.
3744.88 The international press called the Maloto road a killer road and not for the first time.
3752.68 And it was a rainy night. So the road was slippery.
3757.76 Those guys didn’t have a chance. So their fate was sealed immediately when the truck hit the cheaper truck from behind.
3772.36 The dump truck swerved to avoid a car with no lights on and hit another truck at full speed.
3778.08 The force of the collision hurled the second truck into the bus. All the passengers sitting on the right-hand side were killed.
3784.72 instantly. The 29 people who were seriously injured were treated by doctors and paramedics.
3790.68 In South Africa, tragic incidents like that dominate the media and political reporting for several days.
3796.88 But as in other cases, life on the Maloto Road returned to normal and with it, the risks for commuters.
3803.36 One of them is adamant that the government must finally do something.
3808.76 The government is now having an obligation of trying to save people’s lives.
3814.84 Without politicizing any matter. Because if we put politics into this matter,
3820.24 that won’t resolve anything. You politicize, people are dying. You keep on politicizing,
3825.6 people are dying. So the best way is to try to resolve the matter. Plan A, they can extend the road.
3831.68 Plan B, in each and every hundred kilometers there should be traffic officers. That’s it.
3838.6 But with no real solution in sight, public anger erupts time and again in the form of roadblocks and barricades.
3845.12 For years now, the road itself has been the scene of protests. People long since became sick and tired of speeches in Parliament.
3861.32 The taxi companies have become the main figures in the daily battle on the Malolto Road.
3866.36 Only a few commuters can afford them. Luxury of a car. So for the thousands who work in Pretoria,
3871.6 the white taxis are indispensable. One operator runs seven or eight taxis on routes to the Johannesburg and Pretoria metro regions,
3879.28 a trip of about 150 kilometers. Cost? Roughly 12 euros per passenger.
3884.92 A fully occupied taxi can have up to 18 people on board. It’s a lucrative but brutal business,
3890.88 because every customer counts. On this road, money and power play a major role.
3911.92 Direct competition comes from the orange Putco buses. Since 1945 they’ve been taking black workers to where they’re needed but can’t live because accommodation in Pretoria is scarce and expensive.
3924.12 The taxi drivers of course have their personal opinions of the competition. For a few months there were no Putco buses on the road because the drivers had gone on strike.
3934.96 During that time no accidents were reported so I can only recommend people to use our taxis.
3941.4 Instead of buses. In my view, most accidents are caused by bus drivers.
3950.52 Putco buses are often involved in accidents, but 200 of them, carrying 50,000 passengers,
3956.24 are in operation on the Malorto Road every day. 45-year-old Tisha van de Venter,
3962.32 who runs a filling station here, witnesses the horror on the road every day. She grew up on a farm and learned to drive when the Malorto Road was still a dirt track.
3971.08 Her filling station is used by taxis and buses.
3980.12 After just a few kilometres with Tisha at the wheel, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what driving on the Malorto road entails.
3991.44 The taxi business is almost like a mini mafia. They think they own the road.
3997.56 And then you’ve got the Patka buses who are bigger and they think they own the road. So between the two there’s a lot of competition for space,
4006.32 physical space on the road and speed because the one wants to get there faster than the other one.
4014.48 Tisha has brought us to an ordinary roundabout right in front of her filling station. During the daytime you can’t really do anything wrong,
4022.32 but at night instead of going round the roundabout many motorists fail to see the few.
4027.36 traffic signs and simply drive straight on into it. That’s why the roundabout is a permanent building site.
4033.76 Several drivers have decapitated themselves through ploughing head on into the concrete structures on the roundabout.
4039.36 The street lights in the background are a part of sad reality.
4045.72 The other funny thing is that I’ve noticed and there’s quite a bit of it, they want to make it a safer place,
4050.92 they’ve put lighting in, but the lights of course don’t work because all the cables have been stolen.
4059.92 Thus it only gets really dangerous on the Moloto road when dusk falls. But that’s when thousands are returning to their villages after a long day’s work in the city.
4068.8 And the number of commuters is steadily increasing because no worker can afford the high rents in Pretoria.
4074.92 As a result, there is less and less room on the roads. It is illegal to cross the continuous line on the far left of the road.
4082.16 The dark unpaved strip is reserved for pedestrians, cyclists, and herds of livestock.
4088.08 But motorists have long been turning the two narrow lanes into four, even at night, and often with fatal consequences.
4096.04 Pedestrians wanting to cross the road can suddenly appear as if from nowhere.
4104.88 Not everyone is as lucky as these two. According to police statistics, most victims on the Moloto Road are killed in the early morning or the late evening.
4116.92 This taxi also came off the road in the dark. 70% of all accidents here are put down to human error caused by working long hours,
4124.76 drinking alcohol or driving dangerously. You only need to lose concentration for a second for the left side wheels to drift onto the sandy ground next to the road and threaten not only the lives of those travelling in the vehicle but also any pedestrians nearby.
4148.56 This motorist was lucky. His small car with three women and a little child in it came off a straight stretch of road when he swerved to avoid an obstacle.
4157.52 One passenger has a broken leg and there are some cuts and lacerations to be treated but the child is uninjured.
4164.04 There are no statistics on how many accidents are caused by fatigue following a heart attack. day at work.
4176.64 The police regularly make checks on the load vehicles are carrying and on their road worthiness but even so this strip of asphalt claims numerous victims every year.
4186.4 There are no less than 24 risk zones on the Moloto Road but there are voices that make totally different powers responsible for the deaths on the route.
4199.08 Situated not far from the road, this house is home to a religious authority. Isaac Malaza is a celebrated figure in the area because as a bishop,
4208.08 he fights for the survival of people on the Maloto road.
4223.04 A taxi rank on the road. Every few days the bishop comes to the Moloto Road itself to talk to people because he thinks it’s not enough just to preach in church.
4232.76 In 1999 he says Jesus came to him in a dream and told him to help people here.
4238.04 And now that is his mission. He appeals to the conscience of taxi and bus drivers, imploring them not to drive too fast or under the influence.
4246.48 He also mentions far worse dangers on the Moloto Road. There are blood…
4252.68 Drinking demons who have this road in their power. Some families don’t bring home any relatives who have been killed on it.
4261.64 But if nobody cares for these poor souls and brings them home, they will become evil spirits.
4268.96 Such demons are to blame for the many accidents and deaths on this road.
4276.88 So Isaac fights the demons on the road itself. I command you devils to take your greedy fingers off the buses brakes,
4284.32 he shouts. Leave the cars and the people in peace.
4296.04 The bishop’s mission is neither folklore, nor is it the excessive zeal of some preacher acting alone.
4301.92 It is simply part of the culture here. Tischeff and Deventer is well aware of the importance of such rituals.
4311.84 It’s very important for them that if somebody is knocked down that they have what they call a cleansing ceremony where they go to the actual site and they wash the site and they wash off the blood and they get one of the pastors or a church person comes along and
4328.6 they pray and they have a whole little ceremony where they cleanse the road to drive away the bad spirits and things like that.
4341.24 And so Isaac blesses the many Putco buses and prays fervently for the safe arrival of all commuters.
4347.56 The people of Putco are praying for this road.
4355.96 Mr. Malaza pray for this road. Everything.
4361.56 Good ride, set your line. Good ride. For a good six years now, politicians have been arguing about the right measures for making the Maloto road safer.
4371.08 Some recommend basic structural improvements, others would like to see the construction of a railway line.
4376.56 But as long as demons keep demanding so many sacrifices, Bishop Malaza will maintain his fight against the evil spirits and continue to preach on the Maloto road.
4406.68 Driving in India is a challenge for everyone. Even for those who have pushed themselves to the limit on Afghanistan’s deadly roads and survived evil demons on routes in South Africa,
4416.16 India’s roads are extreme. And, as even the locals themselves will tell you, on the mountain roads of the north,
4422.8 the dangers are even greater. I think it’s a very hard job to drive in India. It’s not an easy thing.
4429.84 I think once you drive in India, you drive in the mountains. Roads you can drive everywhere in the world I think.
4436.4 Yeah, you will see the cows also there.
4441.84 The drive from Kullu province in the federal state of Himachal Pradesh to the mountain of dead bodies is a
4448.96 93km long adrenaline rush on difficult and narrow roads that are full of nasty surprises every day.
4456.44 No one knows the number of hairy situations and near collisions that occur. Sometimes drivers are lucky,
4462.52 but not always. There’s been yet another accident on the winding N21 national route.
4471.44 A truck has somehow plunged backwards down a slope and overturned. Even before the police arrive in the early morning by motorcycle,
4478.84 onlookers are already discussing how the accident happened. The driver of the truck, it seems,
4484.08 wanted to avoid an obstacle that had suddenly appeared in the dark. It might have been a car with no lights on or a stray cow.
4490.36 He couldn’t tell exactly. He tells officers that as he was maneuvering in the dark, shortly afterwards he lost his bearings and nearly plunged into the gorge.
4499.04 He just managed to get out by climbing through a window. Many people say that truckers and bus drivers dominate the roads.
4505.88 Bus drivers regard the road as their workplace. It’s mainly the others, they claim, who are impatient.
4533.08 We keep telling our passengers, these men say, that they just have to be patient. We do our best,
4538.6 but we don’t promise them that they’ll arrive on time. If you get killed along the way, we tell them, you’ll never even reach your destination,
4545.24 because the roads here are so dangerous.
4551.2 The bus park, just outside Manali. There is a small regional airport nearby,
4556.56 but because of the high mountains and the poor visibility, flight connections are regarded as unreliable.
4562.16 Consequently, tourists heading for the north from the capital, New Delhi, would rather opt for the 14-hour bus journey.
4568.84 This bus park is somewhere the drivers can take a rest and also swap news and information. They meet friends and family,
4575.28 have something to eat and drink, and try to recover from the strains and stresses of their last trip.
4592.84 There’s not much time to carry out all the repairs the buses need, and with 60 to 70 buses arriving here every day from Delhi and other cities in the densely populated south,
4602.36 the small workshops in the region are never short of work. The poor road conditions place heavy demands on buses.
4610.2 Bus drivers claim there are also other reasons for the chaos on the road. Rock falls and potholes,
4615.84 they say, are only part of the reality.
4621.16 Motorists and motorcyclists, we learn, are a major problem. They never use their rear view mirror.
4626.68 There’s constant friction, the men say, but we can’t keep getting out and having a fight. It’s a fairly long trip,
4632.32 so they try to stay cool. But the fact is, nobody here abides by the rules. Tailbacks are often caused by flocks of sheep and herds of cattle wandering across the road.
4641.24 You slow down, he says, but then cars force their way past or simply turn around, causing you to slam on the brakes.
4647.64 And the whole bus shudders. It’s crazy.
4653.44 For years now, India has held a somber leading position in the global traffic statistics kept by the WHO,
4659.6 the World Health Organization. In 2013, more than 200,000 road deaths were registered,
4665.96 half of them pedestrians. Even if the size of the country and the poor quality of many of its roads are taken into account,
4672.4 that is still an alarming figure, with all the cars and motorcycles, animals of all kinds and commuters in countless regional buses traveling and working on the road is becoming more and more stressful
4685.64 When I have to brake heavily passengers sometimes scream, but most of them are used to it
4694.36 Few people between Lulu and Manali own a car so the yellow regional buses here are Indispensable,
4700.8 but passengers nerves are always on edge Prizes and obstacles can lurk behind every bend.
4706.4 Here, you can never feel totally safe. The poor state of roads are the problem,
4711.88 he says. He can cope with the traffic. In fact, he likes driving here in the mountains, but the locals are poor drivers.
4717.8 They cause him serious problems.
4724.6 For Indian tourists, the trip to the north is a serpentine adventure. But for those who live here,
4729.68 it’s part of everyday life. The regional bus drivers know every bend and slope on their route,
4735.0 but they can never be certain what they’re going to encounter.
4757.36 Working for many years as a trucker and taxi driver, Sunjav Sharman experienced roads all over India.
4763.96 Today he’s a social worker. He looks after accident victims, especially the bus and truck drivers who break down on the road between Kulu and Manali.
4773.04 Anyone who wants to travel safely on mountain roads here in the north would do well to heed Sunjav’s advice.
4782.88 You just have to be very careful. You have to be on your side because the Delhi people,
4788.16 they don’t leave the road. You have to be right, I mean they’ll push you out of the road.
4793.44 They push you just over the cliff? Yeah, if you’re not careful. You have to take care of your car and yourself,
4800.88 you know. Otherwise they’ll push you and throw you out of the cliff. They don’t care.
4808.4 With a jagged cliff face on the one side and a steep gorge on the other, driving on India’s mountain roads is often a question of self-assertion,
4817.0 one which for some proves fatal. In the summer months, everything floods onto the road leading into the mountains.
4823.24 Goods, traffic, animals and commuters.
4831.52 For Hindu pilgrims in their bright orange robes, the trip to their temples in the north is far more than just an excursion.
4838.8 The road belongs to everyone, but most road users show little respect for traffic regulations.
4844.52 Adopting a cavalier attitude, many think, oh, everything will be fine. When the truck starts going up and down,
4851.24 then it’s like, oh wow.
4856.96 What Sanjav means quickly becomes clear. A load and passengers on one truck.
4862.28 Or blind bends. Here you see minor body damage all the time. In some places the road is actually far too narrow for such high trucks and overloaded transporters.
4872.04 Blasting a new lane out of the rock would take time and money. But with trucks getting bigger and bigger…
4877.24 Unless the state of the road surface is improved, the consequences will be easy to predict.
4883.08 Uphill or downhill, everyone wants to make progress and as fast as possible.
4899.6 A section of the road some six kilometres north of Manali. The Border Road Organisation,
4904.96 the BRO, is part of the Indian military. It was BRO sappers who blasted this strategically important road out of the rock in difficult terrain nearly half a century ago.
4915.72 Since then, the military unit has monitored the annual repair work. Not only does the BRO determine when the road is safe enough to be open for tourists and pilgrims in the summer,
4925.24 in late October it also checks the state of the road and decides when it will have to be closed.
4930.48 That all depends on the temperature. and the degree of rain and snow.
4938.6 When the road was constructed in the 1970s, the BRO told India’s motorists to remember that it was built not only with cement and concrete,
4945.8 but also with the blood of many workers. It should not be forgotten, they said, that many of the workers had paid for the road with their health,
4952.68 and in many cases, with their lives. Even today, road construction is still tough work here.
4958.72 Often there is no room to use heavy machinery. And besides, the substrate is far too soft.
4964.84 If necessary, the men and women in the construction teams also have to work at temperatures of around 20 below.
4971.24 They live in accommodation right next to the road, and that too has its dangers.
4976.32 It’s a total sliding area. It’s a 50-metre in length, and it’s a complete slide-prone.
4982.92 So regular slides due to rainfall, snowfall, water seepages, and that’s why…
4992.16 This area is a little bit difficult to maintain. Despite great efforts by the state,
4998.6 the impact of the forces of nature in the forms of heavy downpours and hard frost
5003.92 …always kept under control. But the N21 is the only road to the border with Tibet.
5010.0 For that reason alone, as its owner and operator, the military, closely monitors the road,
5015.08 here too, in an emergency, it must be possible to move troops into the mountains very quickly.
5024.68 At the Border Road Organization’s headquarters, the commander of the Mountain Warriors explains how the
5031.4 3,980-meter-high Rotang Pass came by its name, what Rohtang actually means.
5037.44 Why it is called a mountain of dead bodies is a lot of casualties have taken place while people crossing across Rohtang top.
5048.8 Somehow the rush to the mountain in summer has to be curbed and at the same time the road widened.
5054.52 To prevent everything up here sinking into total chaos the number of vehicles allowed to set out for the Rohtang pass from Manali is limited to a thousand a day.
5063.44 Turning back is forbidden. Anyone returning to Manali on the same day their permit is issued must pay a fine of between 70 and 140 euros,
5072.16 because then, theoretically, there would be 1,001 vehicles on the mountain. So the pass leading to Tibet has to be crossed on the day stipulated.
5081.48 The commander reminds us why, for the time being, this road will remain one of the most dangerous in the world.
5096.72 A lot of sacrifice is done by our men while constructing this road.
5103.48 We start off by doing the formation cutting, which is on a mountainous terrain.
5109.28 It is a very arduous task and a lot of people get injured during the formation cutting of hard rock because of the sliding of the stones.
5122.36 That is the reason why a lot of sacrifices have taken place during the construction part.
5129.56 Footage of the peak taken in early July. The road as far as Lee should have been open some time ago,
5135.36 but in March more than three metres of new snow fell. During the clearance work, three of the 220 workers were killed.
5148.84 These casualties have happened because of the avalanches which trigger on mountain peaks and there is hardly any warning to these avalanches and this is the difficulty which we may be facing while clearing the snow at
5166.12 mountain peaks. The huge appeal of the snow-covered peaks for Indians from the hot cities of the south remains unbroken.
5175.48 This car is in the way, so without hesitation… It’s overturned. Anyone seeking peace and quiet in natural surroundings drives the Roadhang Pass quickly because even though the road beyond the mountain of dead bodies still has its dangers,
5189.88 there is far less traffic on it. When the military closed off the road in November because of snow, the 20,000 people who live up here are cut off from the valley by the Roadhang Pass.
5199.84 A tunnel would make the road usable all year round but until it’s driven 8.8 kilometres through the Himalayan Massive,
5206.92 travelling. on the NH21 will remain a trip into the unknown.
5225.88 Some of the dangers on roads have natural causes. Travellers are under threat from climate,
5231.04 avalanches and landslides. Other risk factors include family duties, Pressure at work and social hardship.
5238.08 They force people to take a risk in getting from A to B every day. Other dangers can be put down to human error,
5244.76 like a lack of concentration or a mistake at the wheel. But simple bad luck can also mean tragedy on the roads of death.
5261.32 Nanga Parbat, in the Himalayas, is one of the world’s highest mountains. Treacherous glaciers,
5266.76 rockfalls and avalanches have given it a notorious and deadly reputation as a killer mountain.
5273.16 Certainly, where German climbers are concerned, the many failed expeditions and accidents since the
5278.52 1930s have earned Nanga Parbat in Pakistan the somber and frightening name of the mountain of fate.
5285.56 The small town of Raikot lies at the start of the last drivable road to the base camp below the summit.
5290.8 Running alongside a chasm, it threads its way between cliffs and landslides. Even getting to Raikot is an adventure fraught with danger.
5298.04 Known as KKH, the Karakoram Highway is a 2,000 km long trunk road linking Pakistan with China.
5305.64 Murtaza Baig is an expert on mountain tours in Pakistan. He kept a film record of our journey and told us what is so fascinating about the highway.
5315.96 Always the people describe about this road. I was really interested to must go and see how is
5324.84 ferry meadows and what is the road condition, because people are afraid and always talking about the road.
5331.2 So myself, when I came first time and I see the Jeep and then started the Jeep, I was too scared. And
5337.52 I said, Oh my God, where I am going. Following the mighty Indus River,
5343.6 Karakoram highway winds its way through the huge gorges of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram.
5351.2 Goods transportation was always a compelling reason for building the road. Colourful, artistically decorated trucks from Pakistan are unique.
5359.76 Front and roof superstructures are enlarged with wooden cladding to create more space for decoration.
5371.4 The term Karakoram Highway is actually a misnomer because the road is rarely well built,
5377.16 let alone multi-lane, and it runs straight through towns and villages.
5386.68 Truckers like Faisal are often on the road for weeks on end. The elaborate decorations on the inside and outside of their vehicles are intended to give them at least some feeling of home comfort. Because theirs is a highly dangerous job.
5402.44 Driving on the Karakoram Highway is definitely hazardous. Numerous trucks and cars have met with accidents on it.
5409.64 Their drivers collided with other vehicles or they plunged into the rivers. As you can imagine,
5415.2 the highway is used by many commercial vehicles.
5424.32 Often, fathers, sons, brothers and uncles take over from one another at the wheel. Because whole families work in the transport business.
5432.36 It’s a tough job, but the 240 euros which Faisal earns every month put him in the middle class bracket.
5439.96 Hundreds, indeed thousands of trucks like this struggle along between steep cliffs and chasms every day.
5445.8 Without them, there would be no exchange of goods between the capital and the provinces.
5452.16 Mine is a really big truck, but I always drive carefully. You have to know your truck really well.
5458.84 Know how it reacts, then it’s all up to Allah and his mercy.
5464.72 He will help you.
5470.28 But the Pakistani government no longer wanted to depend on Allah’s grace and took a bold decision.
5485.92 So for several years now, there’s been a new pass road over the mountain. The aim in building it was for vehicles to avoid the most dangerous bends and chasms on the notorious Karakorum Highway.
5496.64 At an altitude of 4,000 metres, the Barbosa Pass was also designed to save truckers several hours,
5502.64 theoretically at least. Because even though the road is actually new, driving over the pass is most definitely an adventurous undertaking.
5513.88 If you use the pass, then for hours, definitely you will save from the KKH, because KKH is longer than
5521.56 Naran or via Babusar Pass.
5526.6 But the first signs raise suspicions that the new Pass road might be just as hazardous as the highway around the mountain.
5533.32 What’s more, the pass is only open from June to October. Such are the forces of nature here. That frost and tumbling rocks cause so much damage
5541.4 that the pass road has to be repaired at great effort and expense every year.
5546.48 Even in June and July, fog, rain and sometimes snow are a major risk.
5555.24 The traffic has suddenly come to a standstill. People are standing in the middle of the road. Meltwater from the glacier put too much pressure on the cliff.
5563.4 Consequently, only a few minutes ago, a huge landslip swept an entire mountainside into the depths.
5569.92 Now there is total confusion here. No one has any idea of the true extent of the disaster.
5576.56 The masses of mud, rock and scree have buried everything beneath them. Heavy-duty machines will have to be brought up to deal with the
5582.72 problem. Drivers soon realized that they won’t be going anywhere today unless they turn back.
5589.52 This route is highly dangerous, not only because of the weather conditions like mist and rain, but also because of the poor road surface.
5597.12 Over the last three years, thousands of people have been killed and injured. The tight bends are a real problem. And many accidents are often the result of the conditions, but sometimes they are also caused by brake failure.
5637.08 Big slidings and then the people said that there is more tree like this. So that’s why the people are stuck for three days,
5643.72 four days. And then there is no heavy machines there, you know, so that’s the big cause.
5650.2 That’s why the people are stuck from both sides.
5657.44 Three houses in the village of Thak. Telephone lines and electricity cables have been buried by the masses of mud and rock. And so have five young people in their car.
5666.72 It’s a tragic situation. Somehow, residents and travellers try their best to clear the debris.
5673.04 After all, everyone wants to continue their journey. However, the full extent of the landslide only gradually comes to light.
5681.68 At the same time, on the Karakoram Highway, a short way down from the peak, Faisal and other truckers have decided against taking the road over the pass.
5690.36 It might save time, they say, but the road is blocked too often and it’s too steep anyway for trucks.
5695.92 So their only option is the dangerous KHH. With its tight bends and cliff faces,
5701.44 the piles of shattered glass indicate head-on collisions, with no room for evasion action.
5706.56 Such crashes are common.
5712.32 The driver has a broken axle. He’s been waiting in his truck for hours. It will be a while yet before his co-driver comes back with help.
5719.32 So he’s been taking a nap. As 24-year-old Faisal knows, it’s all part of everyday working life on the highway.
5727.84 When you drive this highway for the first time, you’re scared, but then you get used to it.
5732.88 Of course, I’d prefer it if the situation here were better, with more signs, for instance.
5739.48 If the roads were better, life for us drivers would be easier.
5745.8 We would have fewer problems on the route.
5779.32 A subunit of the Pakistani Armed Forces was established. 15,000 workers, under the direction of Pakistani and Chinese engineers, blasted and dug the road through the mountains,
5790.16 initially with explosives and then with their bare hands as well. Even today, the more than 800 Pakistanis who lost their lives in building the highway are regarded as martyrs.
5800.72 The road still follows the Indus River, whose raging waters have cut a deep gorge through the rock.
5821.76 Raikot is a quiet town, right on the highway. Goods are transported further north from here to Afghanistan,
5827.96 Tajikistan and China.
5835.48 The climbers hoping to conquer Nangarpaabat take an easterly approach. In Raikot, they get into one of the brightly colored Jeeps,
5842.56 which were left here in the 1970s by the American military. In Raikot, extreme sports people,
5848.12 mountaineers, and Pakistani tourists all rent a jeep with driver. Because because they are the only vehicles able to cope with the road to the Fairy Meadows base Camp.
5861.76 Rykons jeep drivers are organized in a kind of professional association. They set prices and draw lots to see who takes which tour on the dangerous road.
5870.28 No driving school could teach what they know and can do. They are absolute specialists and bear responsibility for the lives of the four or five people in their Jeep.
5881.68 Only a few minutes out from Rycot, passengers quickly get an initial idea of what they’ve let themselves in for.
5886.88 To the right, the jagged edges of a cliff face. To the left, a yawning chasm.
5892.16 Driving a touch too fast, taking a bend too wide, a rock fall, a sudden oncoming traffic situation.
5898.68 There are many dangerous situations here that can end fatally. In many places, parts of the road have crumbled,
5904.68 making the narrow track even narrower. Damaged sections are temporarily repaired with wooden beams and piles of stones,
5911.88 But instead of focusing intently on every rock, if possible, passengers should enjoy the spectacular view.
5917.88 The drivers are bold, fearless men who know every rock, every bend and every sheer drop.
5923.68 It’s only 20 kilometres from Rycot to the end of the road, but the journey takes up to an hour and a half.
5929.24 Every few kilometres, the driver stops to make a brief check on his jeep, a mini-service, if you like.
5935.52 And it goes without saying that the horn needs to be sounded before every bend.
5977.16 The jeeps are only ever driven in first or second gear, so before setting off, each driver always attaches two or three bottles of water in front of the radiator grill.
5986.6 Because of the low speed, the virtual absence of headwind, the gradient and the heavy weight,
5991.88 without additional cooling, the engines would quickly overheat. Great demands are also made on the springs and suspension.
5999.28 If necessary, a few taps with a rock solves any problem. After a brief check on the wheels and tyres,
6005.48 the journey continues.
6012.24 First, Faisal was only co-driver to his uncle and his father. But for some time now, he’s been driving on his own.
6018.64 His gaze is always fixed on the road. The situation here calls for total concentration.
6025.32 Trips like this, of course, four or five times a week, depending on the weather, are also an adventure.
6031.16 There’s no driving school that can teach you to meet the demands of this job. Some of the people I drive here get frightened right at the start.
6039.56 Very few remain calm. Most suddenly jump from one side to the other, shrieking and screeching.
6047.88 Faisal is a polite person on camera. He doesn’t mention that some of his customers want to turn back, even after the first bend,
6054.04 telling him straight away that the tour is not for them. A rock fall has damaged the bridge.
6059.4 Not even the jeeps can get through, so passengers have to get out and walk to the other side to be picked up.
6067.16 My biggest fear is that something could happen to my passengers, that they might be killed. It’s not just my life I’m worried about,
6074.24 but also the lives of the people I’m driving.
6085.04 These tourists from South Korea have returned from a trip stressed out. They tried to reach the Fairy Meadows base Camp,
6091.72 but the physical effort proved too great.
6098.0 On the other side of the bridge, other jeeps are waiting to take the climbers and a few villagers to the last settlement that can be reached by vehicle.
6111.36 Dilba Khan, who owns a hotel in Jel, joins us on the last few kilometres to the end of the road.
6117.6 We learn how important it is for the people who live here. Many people come here.
6124.72 It’s a good business for us and good for the people. Also, if the road is good road, then they come very easily to go up to the Ferry Meadow and they can see the ferry meadows,
6135.72 They go up to the base camp and the bell camp, everywhere. So if the road is not so good, then so many people, they tell us that your road is not so good. That’s why we are not coming to there.
6148.04 At this spot, the road used to run beneath the cliff. During the last thaw, the track was buried by scree and swept away by the masses of water.
6157.52 But the villagers refused to give up in their battle against nature. Here, an old man has secured his colleagues solely with a thin hemp rope.
6165.48 The men have got hold of some dynamite and a few tools and are resting a new road from the cliff a bit higher up.
6172.16 No one is paying them for the work. These people want to be linked to the outside world so they meet the cost themselves.
6186.56 For the time being, anyone wanting to get to the base camp on Nanga Parbat has to negotiate this
6191.84 50-metre section on foot. Hang on tight, the locals advise, and don’t look down.
6200.16 For the foreseeable future, the road from Rycot to Fairy Meadows will remain what it is today,
6205.56 a highly hazardous route to Nanga Parbat, the killer mountain. Anyone wanting to scale this notorious peak has to continue from here on foot,
6214.04 or perhaps on the back of a mule.
6229.92 Madagascar is the world’s second biggest island state. Although it’s more than one and a half times the size of Germany,
6236.32 Madagascar has a population of only 23 million. Some of the roads and its network of 32,000 kilometers are breathtakingly beautiful,
6244.08 but others are full of adventure and fairly dangerous. The notorious National Route 5,
6249.72 the RN5, is the worst of all. On this road, people and material soon reach their limits.
6257.92 Tantali Razanamaro is a professional chauffeur on Madagascar. He runs his own transport company.
6264.84 Tantali has three employees, but when his clients want to travel north on the RN5, he usually drives them himself.
6271.44 He knows that before starting out on his next trip, there are a few things he needs to think about, because there is a lot that can go wrong along the way.
6280.92 Praying isn’t enough. I have to prepare properly for the job. I must also be ready in my mind.
6287.24 And in good shape physically. Praying isn’t enough, and that won’t make the road any better.
6296.12 It’s 4am in Soani-Irana-Ivvongo, a coastal town on the RN5.
6302.0 It’s not yet dawn, but drivers and passengers are already preparing to take the ferry across the bay.
6307.44 The road continues on the other side, but there it is no longer paved.
6316.76 Official controls are virtually non-existent. People here run things themselves. Whether and when the ferry sales is decided afresh every day.
6326.72 The taxi-bruces, or bush taxis, are private minibuses that travel to even the most remote villages.
6332.88 They don’t offer any legroom or comfort, but as the owner of this bush taxi knows, there is no alternative.
6346.12 I’ve been driving the RN5 for two years because I ask a higher fare and can make more money.
6357.68 Tantali, our professional driver, is also taking this ferry. He’s arranged to drive in a convoy with the bus taxi.
6364.36 It’s something they all do here, because driving the RN5 on your own would be reckless. Thus,
6369.6 the drivers and their passengers quickly form a community of destiny because the trip north is not without its risks.
6376.04 In an emergency, people have to help one another. The road runs along the Indian Ocean.
6381.12 Water to the east, dense jungle to the west. A rather original kind of seatbelt,
6387.04 but this isn’t being cocky. Travelling like this calls for courage and experience. Over the next few days,
6392.36 it will become clear that a trip on the RN5 is difficult and strenuous. At first, though,
6397.56 everything’s idyllic.
6415.8 When Madagascar’s president came to power in a coup in 2011, two things seemed particularly important to him.
6421.92 Printing new money and building roads. The country’s biggest banknote combines both goals in pictures and colours.
6428.6 But the RN5 is still a far cry from this ideal image.
6436.0 This is the start of that stretch of the RN5, which drivers say is the easier part.
6441.04 No one has more experience on this route than the bus, taxi drivers. Some of them travel in every three or four days.
6446.88 With the sea on the right and the jungle on the left, it’s not just a case of negotiating the occasional puddle on the RN5.
6453.08 Travelling on this route involves an almost rhythmic rocking through mud and sand that lasts for hours.
6462.88 Tantalli knows that if he decides to drive through here, he has to keep his foot down, even if water is washing over the hood or getting inside the vehicle.
6471.24 Anyone who gets stuck here without an escort has a real problem, one that could last several days.
6489.64 The lads on the roof keep a lookout for sharp rocks in the murky water that could damage the tyres or the underbody.
6495.84 They tell Tantalli when to hold back so that both vehicles don’t get stuck in the same mud hole. The man with the interesting seat belt instructs him to put his foot down.
6504.16 You’re on the right line, he says. When you get through, pull up on the right. It takes a lot of pluck and skill to find the right path through the water.
6512.24 After downpours, pools like this can be a lot deeper than they seem.
6517.36 Tantoli is a professional driver, but he doesn’t know this stretch as well as the taxi lads, so he’s glad that they’re driving ahead of him.
6524.32 And so the two off-road vehicles plough their way along the river. The RN5 heading further and further north towards Maranana.
6532.4 Some of the people on the load bed have got cramp, others are feeling sick, But there will be no stopping until the next ferry is reached.
6539.92 Constantly being immersed in water has made the filters damp.
6564.84 So every few hours they need to be removed and dried, but time is getting short. If they miss the ferry, they’ll be stuck here.
6571.64 So everyone lends a hand as best they can, because often even some of the passengers prove to be good mechanics.
6577.48 As soon as the engine compartment is more or less free of water, the journey continues.
6594.88 The further north the vehicles get, the smaller the ferries become that transport them. Pedestrians,
6600.0 motorbikes and bicycles are rode across.
6609.04 The ramps are for jeeps and trucks, even if the sheet metal sometimes suffers.
6618.56 The main ferries are financed by the state. But here, money still changes hands. It’s better to put your hand in your pocket if you want to make absolutely sure of getting across before nightfall.
6628.96 Apart from the Busch taxis and Tantalli, two trucks are also travelling on the RN5.
6635.08 Hassim transports clothes from the north to the capital and often sits behind the wheel for 16 hours.
6640.76 If there’s room to earn a little extra cash, he takes passengers on the load bed. October is high season and Hassim drives as often as he can.
6649.12 He bears almost everything with stoicism. Although the wooden planking on the ferries always scares him.
6663.72 At some point, when you no longer think it possible, the water holes and sand tracks come to an end.
6669.16 But what follows is far more strenuous for Hassim and the other truckers. The vehicles on the road here aren’t exactly fragile.
6676.48 They’re all-wheel drive trucks, which used to belong to the military.
6690.0 Time and again, people carrying spades appear as if from nowhere to, let’s say, do a little work on the RN5.
6697.0 According to the drivers, the holes they fill in during the day were dug during the night by the very same people.
6702.48 And the men expect a small donation for their efforts in repairing the road. So it’s not surprising that the average speed on this stretch of the RN5 is a mere 9 km an hour.
6714.72 Arno and his lads on the bus taxi are now somewhere ahead of the trucks. The mood is good. And the men on the roof treat themselves to the occasional swig of gin.
6725.84 But at some point, they have to pull up between a few huts in the village and disassemble the entire rear axle.
6731.84 There’s hardly anything they can’t fix on their old Toyota, even when they’re on the road.
6737.0 But the water and the sand on the RN5 are a constant source of friction, and the differential and the wheel bearings suffer accordingly.
6745.08 Arno still doesn’t know exactly what the problem is, but… The unmistakable grinding noise gives him a very good idea.
6760.48 From now on, the rocks are going to be more and more of a problem. If the damage is serious,
6767.6 it’ll have to be fixed here. The car has to be in good shape, otherwise we won’t make it.
6775.12 There is only motor, 2400.
6780.56 This time, a motorcyclist will have to go back and fetch spare parts. Arno and the bus taxis crew are stuck.
6787.52 No one can say how long the motorcyclist will take because he’s on his own and will have to ask along the road to see if he can get hold of any used spare parts.
6802.36 Now, Tantoli has to continue in his Pajero on his own. He’s been instructed to pick up the member of a development aid organisation in a small village a good 40 kilometres from here,
6812.96 But it’s doubtful whether he’ll make it by the end of the day.
6831.8 The drive along the RN5 is now pure torture. In fact, travelling like this can’t really be called driving.
6838.04 It’s more a case of slipping and sliding, floundering and weaving.
6862.0 Out here, nearly everyone gets around on foot. Now Tantuli himself has to stop. The acrid smell from the engine compartment is clearly coming from burnt plastic or rubber.
6871.88 Constantly driving over huge rocks is having an effect.
6881.36 You have to keep putting your foot down and driving at high revs. As a result,
6886.84 the clutch overheats. We’ll have to let the car cool down for half an hour or so.
6896.52 But 20 minutes later, Tantoli sets off again because he has to solve another, far more pressing problem than an overheated clutch.
6904.4 Where can he find diesel on the RN5? There are no filling stations and his Jerrycan is empty.
6910.76 Tantoli knows of a dealer who sells diesel, but there is a risk involved.
6923.6 It was further south. We were forced to travel at night and were attacked.
6930.56 When we saw the robbers, the people in the taxi panicked. The men wore short pants and plastic sandals and were heavily armed.
6941.64 But they weren’t after money. That wouldn’t have been any use to them in the jungle.
6950.0 The two can notice, I cannot. Around midday, the sun disappears and it starts to rain.
6956.68 For kilometre after kilometre, Tantoli battles on through the mud.
6968.76 Finally, he reaches the village where he’s supposed to pick up the man from the aid organisation. But there’s no sign of him.
6979.96 It’s not been a good day for Tantali. The repairs have cost him a lot of time and money.
6985.04 He decides to turn back and spend the night in a nearby village. He’ll wait a day or two and hope that his customer has only been delayed.
6992.68 That happens. Above all, anyone who is out and about in northern Madagascar needs time.
6997.8 Lots and lots of time.
7017.16 With 163 million inhabitants, Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries.
7023.16 Travelling on the roads here is a real challenge, and the chaos and constriction of Dhaka, the capital,
7028.56 are only the beginning. Bangladesh’s highways are among the most dangerous on earth.
7033.92 Anyone getting into a car here must reckon with a very special type of experience.
7052.4 Here in Bangladesh, the first time I drove my own car here in Bangladesh,
7057.44 I thought I was in a madhouse. Adam Dala is a journalist,
7063.56 film producer and newscaster with Bengali television channel ITV. A keen motorist,
7069.0 he’s only too aware of the dangers on his country’s roads.
7076.08 It is nowhere more difficult and frustrating to drive a car than here in Bangladesh.
7082.64 Good evening, you’re watching Independence News. I’m Adam Dorla. Before we go into the details for the evening,
7088.56 let me give you a couple of head-points. Theoretically, you can drive here without sounding your horn,
7094.56 but that would be pointless. In Bangladesh, anyone who doesn’t pump their horn is simply not part of the traffic scene.
7121.44 Everyone in Dhaka, with its 16 million inhabitants, wants to get to where they’re heading for, and
7126.72 its roads are the city’s arteries. But the highways in the north and south of the country, in particular, are full of dangers, which pose a threat to life and limb.
7138.36 Adam Dahler travels to the TV studio in Dakar by car. Some days the trip takes him 20 minutes,
7144.32 but sometimes he needs three long hours for just three kilometres. That’s why in the city he has a driver.
7151.76 It means he can use his precious time for working. Out on the highways, Adam prefers to take the wheel himself.
7157.32 But what exactly is a highway in Bangladesh? Here,
7163.28 a highway is simply a road between two towns. It has nothing to do with a real highway.
7172.44 The dangers presented by these so-called highways soon become obvious. Driving here is like constantly being part of an action film.
7180.0 This is typical of many places in the country. Just one lane in each direction, and often two lanes quickly become three or four,
7187.52 creating a very tight situation.
7195.76 People who drive for a living, like Jahid Shiak, spend between 14 and 16 hours a day at the wheel.
7202.2 Jahid works six days a week. With an income of just 72 euros a month, he belongs to Bangladesh’s middle class.
7215.4 There’s no speedometer needle. Jahid drives according to his instincts and sometimes the wishes of his passengers.
7222.0 He doesn’t have any fixed schedule to keep to. The more customers he has on board, the more profitable it is for the owner of the bus.
7228.84 Full buses are regularly involved in serious accidents. Jahid explains why it’s not always the driver who’s at fault.
7241.52 With many accidents involving buses, it’s not always the driver who is to blame. Especially in the mornings, when I start work,
7248.48 people pile in and start shouting at me. Get a move on, man, we’re late. If you don’t put your foot down,
7254.68 we won’t get to work on time. Passengers often complain that I’m not driving fast enough.
7266.52 That sounds a bit like an excuse, because looking at the way they’re driven, it’s clear that in Bangladesh,
7271.88 buses and trucks dominate the highways. Nothing seems to scare the men at the wheel.
7293.32 A Nausiemon is a vehicle for the little guy. A homemade contraption powered by a boat engine.
7298.84 Because marine diesel is cheaper. Nausiemons are not allowed on highways,
7304.68 neither are rickshaws powered or not. But that’s usually ignored. The main thing is to get to where you want to,
7310.64 no matter how.
7320.96 Drivers here are one of Bangladesh’s dangers. As you can see, the road itself isn’t bad.
7327.48 But people just drive any way they want. Overtaking is an everyday occurrence,
7332.56 especially overtaking in the wrong places.
7338.28 When I’m on this side of the road, it can happen at any time that a vehicle from the other side, it might be a car or a truck,
7344.88 is suddenly coming forward in my lane. And the driver doesn’t plan to stop. So I have to get out of his way.
7351.68 Very often I have to veer onto the verge to let him through. Otherwise,
7356.76 of course, we’d collide head on. The emergency department of a hospital only 60 kilometers north of Dakar.
7368.32 Victims of serious accidents are brought here every day. The Siuhet highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the world.
7374.48 This hospital is just beside our
7379.72 Dhaka-Sillet highway. Just beside our Dhaka-Sillet highway.
7385.52 Lots of road traffic accidents occur in this highway due to the ignorance of our local people and our inexperience of our drivers, and some
7399.8 of our negligence of our drivers.
7405.6 Anyone who makes it to the district hospital after an accident can count themselves lucky.
7415.76 I have faced a lot of road traffic accident patients and load traffic accidents and injured patients. Because I have been working here for the last 10 years and I am also a cardiologist and I am in charge of this hospital,
7430.76 resident medical officer. And we have faced a lot of road traffic accidents, not only for daytime, but also at night time also.
7440.48 There is a job, when there is an accident occurs, road traffic accident, there is. He has multiple injuries,
7446.0 his head injury, his epistrix, his fracture, his abdominal trauma, chest trauma with respiratory distress.
7452.56 Whether an accident victim survives doesn’t only depend on doctors’ skills. Often, it simply depends on getting to hospital at all.
7459.56 That’s because ambulances do not enjoy right of way here. Indeed, their drivers complain that only a quarter of the people on the road have any idea what a siren or flashing blue light means.
7471.56 When buses collide head-on, we often have 40, 50 or 60 injured people to transport.
7480.04 But there are only 10 ambulances in the entire district. So we always have to hire private buses and cars to get accident victims to hospital.
7492.52 Otherwise, we could never help everyone injured in a major crash.
7503.56 A bus trip of several hundred kilometers on Bangladesh’s highways costs about 60 cents.
7509.12 It’s half price if you travel on the roof. This is actually forbidden, but it is still fairly popular.
7526.2 26-year-old Jahid Shiak has been driving a bus in the chaos on the highways for seven years.
7531.36 He knows that in a serious traffic accident, he could be killed outright. But even if he survives a major crash,
7537.32 his life can still be in danger.
7542.36 Even if I’m not responsible for an accident, people will still come and attack me.
7547.76 Often, they don’t even understand exactly what has happened. But in their eyes,
7552.92 anyone driving such a big bus… Must be to blame. Bus drivers are so scared that they run away at once because after an accident, the angry crowd can even set fire to a bus.
7566.0 If a rickshaw or a car collides with the bus, people on the street blame the driver of the bigger vehicle, and that’s the bus driver.
7583.2 Chaos and violence at the scene of an accident. A frightening scenario that can quickly become life-threatening.
7589.92 A totally overladen truck has overturned on the highway. The driver has run off, but passers-by have grabbed his co-driver.
7597.44 The policeman also has an opinion as to the cause of the accident. The mood is heated and confused.
7603.64 While passers-by are delighted to have found so much free rice, a few residents try to keep on top of things.
7609.32 They call for a police tow truck. And do their best to control traffic at the scene.
7636.2 Soon, everyone is bustling on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway once again. Trucks, buses,
7641.68 rickshaws and all kinds of homemade vehicles. Pedestrians, with and without animals are also getting off again.
7648.28 The fact that drivers on the highways are often under great time pressure and spend far too long at the wheel is only part of the problem.
7655.8 The fact is that they rarely shy away from danger, drive far too fast and risk the lives of their passengers.
7662.4 Near accidents are so common that no one here gets excited. The following scene, too, can happen time and again on some of Bangladesh’s highways.
7673.96 What? Work elephants from a nearby construction site also use the highway and sometimes change direction unexpectedly.
7681.28 Their owners are on their lunch break. With nothing to do, they set off along the road to earn a bit of extra cash.
7694.92 Car passengers aren’t always amused to have an inquisitive trunk check out their vehicles. A small donation.
7700.8 For the animal’s feed is a request that sometimes falls on deaf ears. Anyone who doesn’t pay then has to wait a while before they can set off.
7717.84 Elephants get especially annoyed when their owner gives them a kick behind the ears. That’s something you’ve also got to be prepared for.
7724.76 On some of Bangladesh’s highways, virtually anything can happen.
7733.84 The government has long been trying to master the situation on the roads. Concrete dividers in the middle of the road are designed to at least separate the lanes and reduce the number of head-on collisions.
7743.4 Here and there, bridges have also been built to enable people to cross the highway, but most prefer to use the traditional method.
7755.0 Anyone who wants to know the exact meaning of the word chaos should come to Bangladesh and experience the traffic conditions.
7766.0 And so the highways of Bangladesh continue to be among the most dangerous roads in the world.
7771.36 For Jahid, the bus driver, his passengers, the pedestrians, and also for Adam Dahler,
7776.84 the director and newscaster.
7811.04 New Zealand, a remote island country in the South Pacific and the last place to be settled by humankind.
7822.52 With its stunning nature and roads that offer a special sense of adventure, New Zealand has always held a mystical attraction for Europeans.
7838.8 Jan-erik Winkelmann is a design artist and photographer. On his travels overseas,
7844.16 he always has a piano with him. He’s prepared to put up with a great deal in order to play the piano in some of the most remote places on earth.
7851.6 This time, he’s come to a deserted canyon north of Queenstown, on New Zealand’s South Island.
7861.44 Skippers Canyon is a fascinating gorge. You can already see from Arthur’s point when you’re heading for Queenstown.
7872.4 Skipper’s Canyon has a certain appeal because traveling by car with a piano on a road like this is quite risky.
7882.48 A look out of the window shows just why it’s risky. A yawning chasm on the right and steep cliffs on the left.
7889.64 But Jan-Erik accepts the risks in his search for relaxation and inspiration. And as a photographer…
7895.68 He’s always on the lookout for good motifs.
7901.8 At one time, gold prospectors were part of the scene here. The precious metal was first found in the Shotover River in 1863.
7910.08 Thousands came hoping to get rich quick. The names of rock formations here, like Devil’s Elbow and Hell’s Gate, indicate the kind of thoughts that went through the heads of prospectors back then.
7922.0 Today, it’s mainly those in search of adventure who head for Skipper’s Canyon. For 25 years now, 56 year old Dennis Colum has been driving tourists along this road in anything that has wheels and an engine.
7938.6 I’ve taken a lot of people in here over the years and we’ve had people who panic and then insist that we take them straight out,
7946.24 this is at the start. We’ve had people lying on the floor, crying.
7952.24 And you’ve got to turn around, you might have a vehicle with seven people in it and five of them are fine.
7957.76 And then now you’ve got some lady or someone, generally it’s a lady who’s terrified, sitting on the floor, crying. And you’ve got to then work out how to get,
7966.68 well, we’ve got to get her out, but we’ve still got to run the tour. With his fleet of Jeeps, dirt bikes and quads,
7972.92 Dennis drives tourists from all over the world. He’s been up and down this road a good 2,000 times and has experienced a great deal.
7986.84 In 1990, I was bringing a dirt bike tour up here, and I thought I’d bring these four Japanese guys up,
7994.28 all about 60, on their motorbikes. Normally I park up against this rock face here,
7999.48 but they were reasonably nervous, so I parked further back so they could get off their bikes easy. When I brought them up here to show them this view,
8005.88 they got on their hands and knees and had to crawl to the edge to have a look over. They were a little bit scared about standing up too close to the edge.
8014.24 Anyone who really wants to experience the beauty of the canyon is best advised to leave the driving to professionals.
8020.4 The warning sign at the start of the historic section of the Skipper’s Canyon Road is designed to deter tourists from heading for the old Gold Prospector settlement in their own vehicles.
8030.24 That’s because unskilled drivers get themselves and others into difficulties time and again.
8035.88 The beauty of the mountain panorama masks the true face of the rocky coast all too easily.
8041.48 Only the first few kilometres seem harmless. Then it quickly becomes clear which pitfalls and challenges the steep, narrow road has in store.
8055.72 Since the road is not paved, it suffers from the forces of nature, like rain, snow and landslides.
8061.76 Motorists are warned of this, but nothing more. It’s a case of knowing where the risky areas are and keeping an eye out for them because the road is rarely repaired.
8085.68 For Dennis, who often travels the length of the Canyon Road, the beauties of nature here tend to take second place.
8091.72 He drives the road throughout the year and knows when the problems start for him.
8096.96 The problem is people, and we see it every summer, you’ll see tourists try and come in here.
8102.96 The problem being is not this piece of road I’m on right now. At the moment. The problem is where you meet them in a really narrow piece.
8109.12 They have the inability to reverse off, already scared, shitless as far as,
8116.92 they’re already scared, driving and looking for a place to turn. We can’t close it off to the public because it is an open road,
8124.4 But the reality is, people without off-road experience, without driving on really narrow,
8130.24 steep roads should not come in for their own sake. A professional always drives on the extreme edge of the road,
8135.56 never in the middle. See, here you go straight away. That’s exactly what happens. And he’s actually given me enough room.
8141.68 But I have to watch my roof rack here. This is probably the whole thing that you wanted to see.
8148.32 How’s that look? All right? We’re coming in to see Benji as well.
8153.52 All right, so I’ll just sneak past you. Cheers, mate.
8159.2 So that’s the difference right there. And also this rock is overhanging up here on the left,
8164.68 so if you get too close, you take out the top of your vehicle or knock the roof rag off.
8170.44 Have a look over here again.
8181.72 Ah, there you go. There’s another one for you.
8186.88 And he’s reversing with the trailer for me. That’s the road, see, and you’ve just,
8192.04 without even planning it, you’ve got two examples. So this is the difference between whether you’ve got a tourist in a car who can go backwards. or,
8200.68 you know, and this is the whole, the whole problem. When the road’s busy,
8206.12 you don’t need people who can’t drive on it properly.
8215.84 Cheers, mate. I didn’t think you needed to reverse out for me. Good honey,
8221.76 catch ya, see ya. Dennis drives adventurers, nature lovers and danger seekers from all over the world through this enthralling landscape.
8230.64 When two Irishmen discovered gold in the river through the canyon in November 1862, it sparked off a gold rush.
8237.16 The precious metal lured thousands of mine workers, traders and soldiers of fortune to the area.
8242.84 They called on the government to construct a road so that horse-drawn wagons could transport equipment and material across the Shotover River.
8249.88 Back then, small walls were built with natural stones, so the horses couldn’t see the steep drop.
8255.84 Before then, many horses had panicked and plunged into the chasm, taking their wagons and drivers with them.
8262.441 The little huts that can be seen from the road are remnants of the Gold rush. There where the workers who wrested the road from the rock used to live.
8270.84 At one time, it’s said more than 9,000 Chinese labored here. Today, the huts stand empty.
8283.96 Most of these huts in the outback, you can use them and just shut the door, you know, you know. So that way, if people are in trouble in the mountains, they can use the hut so they’re never locked.
8294.321 If you’re in danger, you can go in there and light a fire and spend the night and get rescued. And anyone unfamiliar with the area can quickly get into difficulties.
8302.68 Not only is the road itself perilous, light and shade can also play a tricky role.
8312.92 Especially in winter, when the sun is quite low in the sky and you’re driving into it, you might only see an oncoming vehicle very late.
8320.84 You can’t turn around, so you’ve just got to handle the situation.
8327.0 Jan-Erik feels drawn to this now deserted region time and again. He’s aware of the risks and knows how you need to drive here.
8335.24 This is a difficult stretch. Approach it too fast and you’ll end up in a ditch.
8367.481 I have to take great care in negotiating sections like this.
8379.88 The first major problem is stopping. That might be because there is no room at the side of the road, or because there is someone behind you.
8387.12 Being a photographer, I usually let anyone behind me go past, because that gives me more time to focus on my motif.
8397.24 And Jan-Erik finds spectacular motifs everywhere here. Light, shade,
8402.44 rock and ice present a delightful interlude of colours. Dennis, too, knows all about the dangers this can present.
8410.6 You can see the frost sitting here, but when it thaws, but also when it freezes, it just develops sheet ice.
8416.72 There’s always water running down the road, you see that there? Okay, well, then when we get enough thawing,
8422.64 then that will start to spread across the road, then the whole road will become a sheet of ice. And you can’t muck around on it.
8431.4 Today, tourists and adventurers are mainly impressed by the canyon’s jagged cliffs, its wild beauty and remoteness and its exciting nature,
8440.2 but in the early 20th century, it was the Gold and the Shotover River that exerted an almost magical pull on huge numbers of people.
8458.48 This river that we’re going to follow, the Shotover River, there’s been more gold taken out of the Shotover River per mile than any other river in the world.
8476.8 This was the richest river in the world by far, for its size.
8481.92 Today, there is hardly any precious metal to be found in the river. Only rarely do dauntless prospectors stray to the shot over.
8489.68 Most of those who come here do so in search of adventure on the road. Dennis tells us that when it rains,
8495.6 the porous rock in the canyon becomes saturated. Together with sand and scree,
8501.12 after hefty downpours in winter, rockfalls and landslides sweep down,
8506.2 carrying anything on the road with them. That is why you’re not allowed to stop here. A trip with Dennis on the skipper’s Canyon Road is always full of excitement.
8515.12 It’s a helter-skelter ride, so different from the regulated stop-and-go of city traffic.
8520.84 Often, you don’t know whether to hold your breath or just enjoy the ride and the view.
8536.92 While down below, tourists are enjoying a jet boat ride on the Shotover, Dennis crosses the river on the Skippers Bridge.
8560.72 It’s at this point that most tourists become fairly quiet. While some enjoy the view,
8566.04 others feel queasy. The doors can’t be opened because the daring bridge construction is too narrow.
8572.08 Often, the planks are covered in a sheet of ice. Passengers’ nerves are really on edge, but looking down into the gorge is an unforgettable experience.
8581.6 In summer, the local residents, who, like Dennis, live from the leisure industry, have to share the road with a few bold tourists.
8588.16 Some of whom drive themselves here for bungee jumping or grafting. Now, in winter,
8593.48 this is a lonely place. But even at this time of the year, photo designer Jan-Erik has the courage to come here with a piano in his car.
8601.6 He’s on his own, but he hasn’t come unprepared. In winter, especially,
8607.04 you can hit some icy patches and some dodgy places where the road surface has suffered.
8612.28 But if you’ve got a vehicle with four-wheel drive… You can feel confident that you’re going to get through safely.
8621.16 The skipper’s Canyon road is demanding, even extreme. Anyone planning to drive it on their own should perhaps give it a second thought.
8629.24 It’s a bit of a fun road, really. It’s what makes the adventure. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re brave enough,
8635.36 you know, it’s good fun if you like off-roading.
8640.52 The skipper’s canyon road ends on a farmer’s land. He’s a nice guy, Dennis says. I sometimes call in to see him,
8646.28 but when he’s got tourists on board, Dennis turns straight round here. Because hardly anyone wants to drive back through this deserted Gold Diggers region at night on one of the most extreme roads in the world.
8666.32 The landscape of the Scottish Highlands in northwestern Europe is wild and spectacular.
8671.88 But the routes through it are often lonely and full of hazards, like the Applecross Road,
8676.92 which links the Applecross peninsula with the village of Loch Caron. Basically, a single-track road,
8683.16 but one that can be driven in both directions. It’s notorious and dangerous. You never know what’s behind the next bend.
8690.36 The road is lined by steep cliffs and crossed at night by deer. And, as is typical for the Scottish Highlands,
8696.96 the weather is changeable. The Scots themselves know all about the dangers.
8702.92 I think I might prefer the snow to the fog. You can be driving very carefully,
8708.52 taking your time, but you’re never sure what’s going to come along in the opposite direction.
8715.08 But no, I don’t like the fog at all. The Apple Cross Road is the only route far and wide,
8720.8 so anyone living and working here is dependent on it. Especially with the narrow road, and if it’s misty,
8729.12 people who drive in the mist and the rain with no lights on, nightmare.
8736.4 But some drivers come here especially to face the challenge the road poses.
8741.44 There’s a section of it called the Devil’s Elbow. It’s a tight hairpin that barks on itself.
8747.56 And it can be pretty tricky, especially if it’s wet and slidy.
8753.08 But young adrenaline junkies from Aberdeen or Glasgow using the Applecross Road as an extreme training route are something of a rarity here.
8774.08 Any Highland Scot will tell you that you can experience four seasons in one morning here. Snow,
8779.32 rain, fog and sun, and sometimes too much of each.
8785.96 You drive maybe up about four miles and then conditions can change dramatically.
8793.8 Driving is part of Kirsten’s job, so she has to be well prepared.
8803.76 I apply all the time. I have my car kitted out with a waterproof jacket,
8810.36 waterproof leggings, blankets. Also for the snow, I have a small folding snow shovel. And also remember drinks,
8823.32 maybe some sweets, something, some Mars bar maybe,
8831.2 that sort of thing and a good torch. A good torch, and also I think
8836.48 I’ve also got a head torch.
8853.92 Occasionally, Bikers also pitch up here. For them, this single track road represents a very special challenge.
8864.0 Well, you just have to watch for the loose gravel and sand in the corners in particular, and there’s a lot of humps and bumps as well.
8870.96 It’s not a great road from that point of view. At
8880.32 100% concentration, you have to look what you’re doing and you have to look ahead as well. To watch for cars coming in the distance and things like that. So, you know, that’s the way to do it, just keep your eye on the road.
8899.76 The Applecross Peninsula lies on the far west coast of Scotland. Because of its isolated location,
8905.32 until the early 20th century, it could only be reached by boat. In the
8910.4 1920s and 30s, Applecross became a centre of attraction for motorsport enthusiasts.
8928.72 Early motorcycles and racing cars. In the past, true daredevils took part in hair-raising contests on this spectacular but unpaved Highland Road.
8939.04 The message on the only sign far and wide is clear and simple. So anyone who doesn’t feel confident is wise to take a 60 kilometer detour along the coastal road.
8948.8 On the narrow route from Loch Caron to Applecross, there are hardly any road signs. No traffic lights and no junctions, just breathtaking scenery.
8957.64 The driver of a security van is not interested in taking a detour.
8964.4 What does make it difficult is people from outside of the area are not used to driving on a road like that.
8969.56 They’re not used to single roads, they’re not used to passing places. Anyone who has to use the narrow road frequently experiences a great deal and has lots of tales to tell.
8980.84 We drive this road to here every week, and possibly the worst thing I remember is at a…
8987.32 Part of the road, which was on a bad hill, with no room either side and a cliff face and car coming opposite. Didn’t know what to do,
8997.24 was stopped and I couldn’t get past him, he couldn’t get past me, and I stalled the vehicle in trying to get past him easily.
9006.12 So I had about five feet of maneuver and had to bump start it in reverse without being able to see properly what I was doing.
9017.56 On the flat part of the road, the security van can be seen from a long way off, but Terry isn’t worried about being attacked.
9027.08 In an area like this, if someone attacks you, where are they going to go? You cannot run away with the money.
9032.12 No, maybe if they have a helicopter.
9039.52 With its ever-changing colors, the scenery is spectacular. The few people who live here permanently are a friendly,
9045.96 unflappable breed. Up until 1920, when the road was built, the peninsula could only be reached by ship.
9052.52 Today, the 238 inhabitants of Applecross live from fishing and tourism.
9062.96 Visitors are drawn here by the good whiskey, the breathtaking landscape and, of course, by the Applecross Road.
9074.76 These young men from Switzerland and the Netherlands have been to the Highlands many times, so they’re familiar with Scotland’s roads.
9080.88 They love the beauty and, to a degree, the risks of the Applecross Road.
9090.6 You have to keep an eye out for oncoming traffic, of course. The roads are fairly narrow, with lots of blind bends.
9097.12 You have to be alert. But no, we’ve never really been warned. Cool, clear air,
9102.68 a blue sky and sunshine. A day just made for a drive. Even so, the person at the wheel needs strong nerves.
9110.64 As you start to drive up, you see the signs telling you that the road is not for beginners and is closed in winter.
9116.36 Sliding down the mountain would be just too dangerous. It’s not something you want to risk.
9126.2 Sometimes there’s a cliff face on the one side and a chasm on the other, so before setting off, it’s a good idea to fold in the wing mirrors.
9133.72 Then the beauty of the road and the scenery can both be enjoyed at the same time. But even so,
9139.04 the dangerously tight bends and the steep gradient should not be underestimated.
9144.96 Gradient of 20 or 25 percent. You really need good brakes.
9154.36 At some dangerous places on the Applecross Road, the car’s bodywork comes fairly close to the cliff face,
9159.88 so total concentration is called for. Despite the stunning scenery, the driver needs a firm grip on the wheel.
9166.48 It’s not uncommon for tourists to put not just themselves, but also villagers at risk.
9171.64 Some people get out of their car and walk to the next tight bend to see if anything’s coming from the opposite direction.
9177.52 Others are so impressed by the natural beauty of the region that they simply pull up and park wherever they feel like.
9183.72 Stopping on a blind bend, getting out and casually strolling along the road is not without its dangers.
9189.84 You might not see a single other vehicle for hours, but that’s never something you can rely on.
9222.12 Angus McKenzie also lives in Loch, Caron. The drive to work on the other side of the peninsula takes him a good hour.
9228.56 He’s been taking the Applecross Road for years now, and in all weathers. Angus works at the Royal Navy’s torpedo Test Centre.
9236.52 Its location is remote and closely guarded.
9249.52 But I think for me, and for most drivers, the worst is a mist, thick fog, heavy rain, mist. You can’t see five,
9256.76 six metres, ten metres, sometimes no metres.
9263.0 The weather on the Applecross Road can change very quickly. Then mist turns the delightful scenery into an almost ghostly,
9270.04 lonely landscape.
9282.48 You have to be aware of something, maybe around every corner.
9287.8 But it’s not only the weather that can make the road unpredictable. Animals, very, very dangerous.
9293.96 There have been many accidents over the years that just wreck your car.
9299.32 But that’s the challenge of living in a wilderness place on the West Coast.
9305.16 More than… 7,000 accidents involving game have occurred on Scotland’s roads, resulting in damage totalling 6.3 million euros.
9313.72 I’ve had a couple of accidents with deer. Once when I was driving,
9319.48 I had two call-outs, two sort of consecutive nights.
9324.68 One at two in the morning and one at three in the morning. And the number of deer that were on the road at that time,
9331.24 really. A royal Stag weighing 100 kilograms or more. Herds of deer in search of lush feeding grounds can suddenly cross the road.
9340.08 A nightmare for any motorist.
9347.2 And they just appear, especially if there’s lights coming towards you as well, if traffic is coming towards you,
9353.68 you just don’t see them. And they just appear in front of you. They are beautiful animals,
9359.96 but in a car at night, it’s safer to keep your distance. Up here, anyone involved in a collision with Game
9365.44 has more than one problem because there’s no cell phone reception.
9374.84 They can land on your bonnet really and go through, antlers can go through the windscreen and really be quite,
9381.52 very dangerous.
9387.04 Because of the weather, the landscape and the wild animals, there are risks that cannot be ruled out.
9392.68 Traffic on the Applecross Road only functions because the region is sparsely populated and the locals drive sensibly.
9399.48 The scenic appeal and the danger posed by the road are evenly balanced. For Kirsten,
9404.84 Angus and the others who live and work here, the Applecross Road is an important and time-saving shortcut.
9410.6 For Chris and all the others who come here because of the scenery and the good whiskey, it’s more of a breathtaking spectacle,
9417.32 an extreme road through magnificent nature.
9436.72 Fraser Island lies off the east coast of Australia. Running as straight as a die, here is the world’s only sand highway.
9444.24 It provides a unique driving experience for more than 100 kilometres. The route is always taxing and sometimes goes straight through surf.
9452.6 There’s an 80 kilometres an hour speed limit, but it’s only from the air that this natural track seems smooth and harmless.
9459.88 This 120 kilometre long stretch on an island washed by the Pacific Ocean offers adventure for anyone seeking an open road with no tailbacks or traffic lights.
9477.84 Werner Lorca is a photographer and professor at the University of Art and Design in Offenbach, Germany.
9483.88 He’s already explored the Australian outback in a four-wheel drive vehicle several times. But what does he,
9489.88 and others, find so appealing about the Sand highway?
9495.12 Even here in Australia, there’s no opportunity to do beach work,
9500.24 as the Australians call it. In other words, just let rip over such a long distance.
9508.32 There’s nowhere else you can do that in Australia. Apart from the odd danger that might be lurking,
9516.84 it is a very special situation and a unique driving experience.
9551.52 Ultimately, his business concept was based on the extreme wear and tear vehicles suffer through seawater,
9556.88 salt and sand. A real market niche.
9569.4 Ordinary rental firms usually have brand new cars. So, naturally, they don’t want them to be driven on Fraser Island.
9575.8 We have older models that are very strong. We prepare them for the island with higher suspensions,
9580.92 wider tyres and so on. There are no carpets in them, just an engine and transmission. Everything’s mechanical.
9586.72 In the long run, that’s much better on Fraser Island.
9593.92 Matt, as the Swiss is known to everyone here, runs a fleet of 20 land rovers and range Rovers.
9599.76 He services and repairs them in his own workshop. The demand for used models of this kind has long been high.
9605.56 Most owners keep hold of their robust off-roaders, even if they rarely drive them, but Matt knows exactly where to look.
9619.72 Using a detailed map, Matt explains the special features and risks of the Beach highway to all his customers.
9626.16 Drivers with a thirst for adventure also have to watch a 45-minute video, which clearly stresses all the different dangers.
9636.0 You must wear your seatbelt at all times. One problem is that on sand, young people, in particular, try to do crazy things like spinning the car.
9644.52 But that doesn’t work on sand. It’s not like on snow, where you can spin a car right round and carry on.
9649.96 On sand, at some point, the wheels will dig in and the vehicle will flip over.
9655.56 It soon becomes clear why only four-wheel drive vehicles are allowed on Fraser Island. The beach highway isn’t all sand.
9662.64 The first 20 kilometers run through rainforest with giant trees. It’s a fascinating stretch, rich in variety.
9669.44 Anyone who’s just spent the last hour and a half being shaken to and fro is delighted to finally see an almost endless expanse ahead.
9677.32 For Europeans, it’s an unaccustomed, exciting motoring experience on a route constantly being changed by the tide.
9683.72 Vano Loka knows the beach highway well. There are no more than a handful of road signs, and you always have to remember that in Australia…
9691.56 They drive on the left. Motorists on the beach highway are automatically confronted with other vagaries and peculiarities.
9703.72 Even 80 kilometers an hour can be dangerous if you suddenly drive into soft,
9708.8 wind-blown sand, covering what is a corrugated surface. Basically,
9714.28 you have to feel your way, almost like someone steering a boat. You have to notice.
9719.84 How the car is reacting and, if necessary, countersteer.
9728.96 The Beach Highway certainly has many faces. Local rental firms recommend reducing the tyre pressure a little.
9735.92 This gives the tyres greater contact with the ground and enables the car to cope better with really soft,
9740.96 flour-like sand. Some people drive with only one bar of pressure, or even less, in their tyres.
9747.16 Since even that might not be enough, there are always shovels and sand ladders. Basic equipment on every vehicle here,
9753.52 because it’s a case of moving the car before the tide comes in.
9762.12 The moment you turn the wheels too much, you actually start to push the sand in front of you.
9767.44 That’s when the car can easily turn over.
9775.72 In just a few minutes, what started out as a harmless drive on the beach can turn into something totally different.
9781.12 The tide can alter the surface in next to no time. It takes only a few minutes for a 4×4 to sink into the sand and water and become scrap.
9789.92 A vast expanse seemingly limited solely by sand and the sea. Basically, this is a long, straight strip of wet sand.
9798.04 Since it’s totally different from what they’re used to. This form of motoring appeals to a lot of people, but the Beach Highway shouldn’t be underestimated.
9805.8 And no one should ever drive it on their own, not even in brilliant sunshine.
9822.92 A lot of tourists can get themselves into trouble if they get up a bit too much speed,
9828.32 especially if they’re a bit top-heavy. But generally, yeah, the traffic’s pretty constant along here.
9833.96 We pull up with the children and stuff, and it’s not like you can sit back and relax all the time. You’ve sort of got to watch,
9839.84 just like a normal highway. But, yeah, it’s a great beach to drive on, like the best I’ve been on in Australia.
9849.16 Young people, in particular, love the casual way you can drive on the beach highway. You quickly learn whether or not you can control a heavy off-roader on sand.
9857.76 We didn’t stuck. But sometimes, you know, the clutch is a jump too fast and then the car is just stuck in the middle of nowhere. And you need to get your all together, and, you know, to relax,
9873.48 deep breath and just turn it on and get into it. Keep going.
9879.72 The youngsters are thrilled by the blend of freedom and the unique feeling of driving on sand.
9885.24 4×4 adventures on the beach. It’s a different kind of driving experience.
9892.0 Back home, we nearly always take the motorway or main roads. That’s actually become boring,
9897.12 but this is a real experience to take home with us. Not so long ago, there were no speed restrictions on the Beach highway on Fraser Island.
9905.52 The island with fatal consequences.
9914.0 Basically, about seven years ago, people used to just hire the vehicles to overseas paying people.
9921.72 They would bring their vehicles over here by themselves, and they would basically get caught by these booby traps on the beach and roll their vehicles over. and,
9930.12 yeah, kill people. So basically, now the government’s stepped in and
9935.52 and put in the Tagalongs in place. So all the people do still get their driving experience. But they’re not in harm’s way, as they’re following a guide or a driver that is highly qualified in driving on these beach and
9952.36 know the beach very well, basically. Anyone who wants to experience the beach highway without getting behind the wheel themselves can book a ride in one of the 4×4 coaches.
9962.28 That show tourists the spectacular places on the world’s biggest island. The gentle rocking motion is quite pleasant and passengers don’t have to take any risks.
9971.36 They can experience the island’s beauty in air-conditioned comfort.
9983.72 Today, Brock Harris is on a training trip. He explains to the driver what the passengers want,
9988.88 an adventure experience, but… Under controlled conditions.
9996.64 Every day it’s a little bit of a different challenge. You might have had a creek crossing one day. That’s beautiful and smooth.
10002.48 Next day it’s a big drop off. So you’ve always been aware. But being up high in the truck, it does make it a bit easier. But sometimes,
10008.0 some days, you’re like, wow. The whole beach, sometimes on a high tide, with a cyclone, and the full moon, brings it up a lot quicker.
10014.88 You might be driving, you know, for 20 kilometres in water the whole way, remembering from the day before, where the…
10020.6 The nice water crossings way, sort of thing. Anyone unfamiliar with the beach will run the risk of driving in front of the rocks that lurk beneath the waves when the tide is in.
10031.0 For tourists, the route back from the water line is fairly strenuous, but it is the safer option.
10047.36 You get the feeling there’s a fairly large hole here. But you can’t see down into it.
10052.92 You’ve got to get out and poke a stick into it to make sure that there are no nasty surprises lurking.
10062.48 The 70-mile Beach highway at 6 in the morning. This isn’t an ELK test, nor is Paul driving his
10068.96 4×4 Mitsubishi after having had a drink or two. He’s weaving to and fro to check the surface.
10074.8 It’s a ground inspection he does every morning. If he’s happy with the surface, he hammers in metal struts and sets up his markers.
10081.72 The runway for his company’s aircraft is now ready, in the middle of the highway.
10087.0 In the early morning, takeoffs and landings are no problem. But after sunrise, motorists and pilots use the track together.
10118.8 Yeah, people who don’t know we’re operating here, that can be a problem sometimes, as they don’t really see the plane when we’re coming in to land.
10126.76 So there’s a hazard there and we need to go around occasionally. Usually, it doesn’t happen. Yeah, I’ve seen some funny reactions,
10132.12 cars swerving off and people, you know, not everyone but a couple do hit a wave.
10139.6 Cars on the highway are stopped when a plane is about to take off or land. Tourists often book a 20 minute flight over the island at a cost of 60 euros.
10148.24 Seeing it from above is a change from the usual perspective. Pilots know the view, but they still have to reassess the dangers every day.
10157.28 Firstly, the beach always changes. So a lot of the times it’s different in the morning than it was the previous afternoon.
10165.0 So we’re faced with a lot of mounds that form in the middle of the evening. There’s also washouts, so the freshwater creeks run out in the evening and they can make lifts on the creeks there.
10176.68 That’s very dangerous, that can shear off the landing gear for us. And also there’s a lot of what we like to call the melon holes.
10183.24 So it’s potholes, really, but they’re in very close proximity to each other. And that can be very dangerous as well,
10189.8 especially for the tyres. But the cars also, yeah, you don’t want to hit that with a car.
10195.6 The beach highway has to be shared by all who use it. The local pilots with visitors in off-road vehicles,
10201.8 cyclists with anglers and walkers. To be on the safe side, some drivers get out when they reach one of the freshwater creeks. And first check the depth of the water on foot and look for the right place to cross before proceeding.
10219.04 Others prefer to take the direct route and stay at the wheel. Because anyone leaving their car here should be very careful and be on the lookout for dingoes.
10227.28 Australia’s wild dogs live on and alongside the highway. They’re an attraction, but at the same time a threat.
10233.76 In 2001, dingoes on Fraser Island killed a nine-year-old boy and injured another youth.
10239.6 Since then, signs warn visitors never to feed the animals and certainly not to try stroking them.
10245.8 Nor should they run away, because that arouses the hunting instinct of the 160 or so dingoes that live on Fraser Island.
10252.84 The wild dogs can be seen easily and safely from inside a vehicle.
10267.68 The 120 kilometer long drive on sand from the south end of the island to this cliff is a trip full of surprises.
10274.92 The beach highway along the east coast of Fraser Island ends here at Indian Head. The route continues to be a major attraction for thousands who are tired of always driving on asphalt.
10297.4 The 75 mile long Beach highway might not be the most dangerous road in the world, but it certainly is one of the wackiest.
10310.56 Whether we’re talking about the Applecross Road in Scotland, the Skippers Canyon Road in New Zealand, or the world’s only beach highway on Australia,
10317.84 Extreme routes make great demands on drivers and travelers. But their location?
10323.2 The conditions they present and their history spell far more than just a way of getting from A to B.
10328.4 Whoever drives them will find adventure and a bit of freedom set against the magnificent backdrop of nature.
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Nous avons découvert tous ces déversements illégaux dans la rivière sur la route de l’île.
déchets de construction, blocs, cendres des incendies, déchets alimentaires, plastique

tout ce qui tombe dans la rivière Slaney – qui est une zone spéciale de conservation en aval. Nous obtenons également notre eau potable de la rivière 
