The worst countries to drive in, according to tourists
Driving in unfamiliar territory can be daunting, especially when you’re not a local. A new survey has revealed which countries have the most nerve-wracking roads for tourists.
Driving in a different country can be a stressful experience – particularly when you consider the change in road infrastructure, traffic volumes, road rules and driving habits.
RELATED: The country with the deadliest road in the world
However, new data has shown some popular tourist destinations are worse to drive in than others.
A survey by UK automotive website Scrap Car Comparison asked more than 2000 motorists worldwide to identify the countries that have been the scariest, most stressful or most downright dangerous to drive in.
Here’s what tourists said.
Which country has the world’s scariest roads?
Scrap Car Comparison ranked every country on a ‘scare score’ measured out of 10, with overseas drivers ranking India as the scariest country to drive in at 7.15/10.
In terms of sheer volume, the South Asian nation is also the country with the highest number of road fatalities in the world.
As Drive previously reported, there were 461,312 road accidents recorded on India’s roads in 2022, of which 168,491 resulted in fatalities. For context, that is approximately 146 times greater than Australia’s national toll of 1152 recorded in the same year.
According to multiple overseas reports, several key factors, such as a lack of proper road infrastructure, unregulated road rules, and unsafe driving habits significantly contribute to India’s abnormally high road toll.
Right behind India is Venezuela, which respondents identified as the second most terrifying country to drive in, with a score of 6.97. In the case of the South American country, a combination of heavy rainfall and flooding, as well as the lack of maintenance, has led to less-than-ideal road quality.
This, coupled with the lack of law enforcement as well as unregulated traffic conditions, has prompted various governments, including Australia‘s, to warn overseas drivers of the safety risks frequently seen on Venezuelan roads.
The African nation of Zimbabwe was rated the third-scariest country to drive in, with a scare score of 6.9/10.
While pedestrian safety – or the lack thereof – is a common denominator among the countries listed, Zimbabwe in particular has reported a rising rate of pedestrian deaths due to fatal collisions involving vulnerable road users and public transport vehicles.
As a result, Zimbabwe road authorities mandated the installation of speed-limiting devices on Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) like buses in 2023.
Under the new law, “every PSV shall be fitted with a speed limiting device so that such vehicles will not exceed 100km/h,” Zimbabwe’s Traffic Council stated.
Of the countries identified in the survey, Morocco ranked fourth, with a driver scare score of 6.87/10.
According to the International Transport Forum (ITF) – a global transport research organisation – excessive speeding is “one of the leading causes” of fatalities in the African nation, with 18 per cent of road deaths in 2022 caused by “inappropriate” speeding.
Morocco’s urban roads are generally narrow, which can create difficulties given these roads are often populated by motorised bikes, pedestrians, cyclists and various animals like camels and donkeys.
The combination of small streets populated by vulnerable road users is a recipe for concern amongst foreigners thinking about driving in the North African nation.
As per the ITF data, motorcycle riders accounted for the vast majority of road fatalities in Morocco at 40 per cent, followed by pedestrians (25 per cent) and car occupants (23 per cent).
Based on the Scrap Car Comparison data, Thailand was ranked as the fifth-scariest country to drive in, with a scare score of 6.86/10.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates Thailand’s road fatality rate sits at 25.4 per 100,000 people. Outside of medical illnesses, road injury was the most common cause of death in the South Asian nation.
According to WHO, Thailand’s national road toll average “remains one of the highest in Asia” and “ninth out of the 175 WHO member countries”.
Of most concern, motorcyclists accounted for a staggering 83 per cent of road fatalities in Thailand.
Despite approximately 44 million vehicles being registered in Thailand last year, of which an estimated half of them were motorcycles, a 2024 study revealed Thailand’s fatality rate is the result of deeper issues.
According to researchers, the design of Thailand’s road system is “built to increase mobility rather than improve safety, and lacks a hierarchical structure”.
“Highways are poorly integrated into both rural areas and Thai cities and ignore the needs of motorcycle drivers, who comprise most road users and victims” the study explained.
“Traffic regulations are not enforced by poorly paid police officers, without adequate resources or ability to enforce traffic fines, and who engage in corrupt practices.”
The world’s worst countries to drive in (according to tourists)
| RANK | Country | Scare Score/10 |
| 1 | India | 7.15 |
| 2 | Venezuela | 6.97 |
| 3 | Zimbabwe | 6.90 |
| 4 | Morocco | 6.87 |
| 5 | Thailand | 6.86 |
| 6 | China | 6.84 |
| 7 | Tunisia | 6.79 |
| 8 | Brazil | 6.71 |
| 9 | Colombia | 6.71 |
| 10 | Malaysia | 6.70 |
| 11 | Mexico | 6.69 |
| 12 | Turkey | 6.68 |
| 13 | Vietnam | 6.67 |
| 14 | Chile | 6.52 |
| 15 | Hungary | 6.52 |
| 16 | Argentina | 6.48 |
| 17 | Singapore | 6.47 |
| 18 | Ecuador | 6.31 |
| 19 | Japan | 6.27 |
| 20 | United Arab Emirates | 6.12 |
| 21 | South Africa | 6.08 |
| 22 | Hong Kong | 5.97 |
| 23 | Greece | 5.86 |
| 24 | Italy | 5.83 |
| 25 | New Zealand | 5.77 |
Where does Australia rank among other countries?
Relative to the multiple countries cited in the survey, Australia ranked as one of the least intimidating countries for overseas drivers.
According to Scrap Car Comparison, global respondents rated Australian roads 4.80/10, well below other nations like Japan which ranked 19th (6.27), New Zealand at 25th (5.77/10) and the United States at 33 (5.29/10).
What are the biggest causes of concern for international drivers?
A vast majority of global respondents surveyed cited driving on the opposite side of the road as the biggest cause of concern for overseas drivers at 56.2 per cent.
For context, approximately 30 per cent of global countries drive on the left side of the road, including nations like the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland and, of course, Australia.
Meanwhile, an estimated 70 per cent of nations – including most European countries, the United States and various parts of Asia – drive on the right-hand side of the road, meaning tourists who are used to one side of traffic could get a culture shock when driving in opposing nations.
If you want to know why Australia drives on the left side as opposed to the vast majority of right-traffic countries, visit Drive’s previous story here.
Unsafe driving habits from other motorists were flagged as the second-biggest cause of concern when it comes to overseas driving at 55.9 per cent, followed by accidentally breaking a local road rule in third (52.7 per cent).
The full list of overseas driving concerns is as follows:
| RANK | Concern | Respondent percentage |
| 1 | Driving on the opposite side of the road | 56.2% |
| 2 | Dangerous driving of other motorists on the road | 55.9% |
| 3 | Accidentally breaking a road law | 52.7% |
| 4 | Driving on unfamiliar roads | 48.1% |
| 5 | Not understanding the road signs | 43.1% |
| 6 | General safety e.g. car theft | 33.3% |
| 7 | Being involved in a traffic collision and not being able to communicate | 29.3% |
| 8 | Getting lost | 28.6% |
| 9 | Getting pulled over and not being able to communicate in the local language | 22.2% |
| 10 | Encountering unexpected road conditions | 18.2% |
The post The worst countries to drive in, according to tourists appeared first on Drive.
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