Traffic accident issues in China are extremely severe. The number of deaths caused by road traffic injuries in China ranks first in the world each year, increasing at a rate of 10% annually. Yet, inexplicably, there are just a few particular road sections across the country that are especially prone to traffic accidents, earning them the nickname "death zones," leaving many drivers who pass through these areas terrified, even referring to them as the "Bermuda Triangles" of China’s highways. Are these "death zones" caused by human error, or are they simply fate?
“The Road of Death” – Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway
The 38.5-kilometer Beijing section of the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway has seen 4,320 traffic accidents, 1,072 injuries, and 219 fatalities since its opening in 1991 up to the end of last year. Among these, from 1991 to 1999 (a span of nine years), the Beijing section recorded 1,981 accidents, 554 injuries, and 115 deaths, averaging 62 injuries and 13 deaths per year. From 2000 to 2003 (four years), the section saw 1,592 accidents, 359 injuries, and 77 deaths, averaging 89 injuries and 19 deaths per year. In 2004 alone, from January to October, the Beijing section of the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway had already experienced 747 accidents, 159 injuries, and 27 deaths. Faced with these shocking statistics and the 219 lives lost, drivers who frequently use this expressway have dubbed it the “Road of Death.”
Causes: Due to outdated design, excessive traffic load—three times the intended capacity—frequent fog, narrow roads, and lack of rest areas, the 13-year-old Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway has been jokingly referred to by drivers as the “Road of Death.”