This scenic highway was named the most feared route in Pennsylvania, driver survey says
Pennsylvania’s Route 6 — a 400-mile stretch of open road and the state’s longest numbered highway — made a recent list of the most feared routes in America, according to a survey of 3,000 drivers.
Commissioned by Gunther Mitsubishi and conducted by QuestionPro, the survey asked road-trippers which routes in each state they fear being stranded on the most.
While Route 6 may engender the most trepidation among Pennsylvania drivers, it also offers gorgeous road trips and was once described by National Geographic as “one of America’s most scenic drives.”
Here’s what to know about Route 6, which aside from being perceived by drivers as the riskiest road in the state, is also rich with natural and cultural attractions.
How does Route 6 compare to other feared roads in the US?
The survey ranks Route 6 as the 42nd most feared in the nation. It falls just behind the Maryland segment of U.S. Route 50, which serves as the main and often traffic-plagued route between the Baltimore and Washington metro areas, along with Maryland’s eastern shore.
The survey ranks these roads as the 10 “most feared routes” in the U.S. The top five generally pass through vast, desolate swaths of land with few services and possibly dangerous weather hazards, including lava flows or 120-degree heat.
New Mexico: U.S. Route 285
California: Death Valley Road (SR-190)
Texas: U.S. Route 90
Hawaii: Saddle Road (Hawaii Route 200)
Nevada: U.S. Route 50 “The Loneliest Road in America”
Kentucky: Mountain Parkway (KY-9002)
South Dakota: U.S. Route 14A (Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway)
Alaska: Dalton Highway (AK-11)
New York: State Route 17
Mississippi: U.S. Route 49
Kentucky has one of the most-feared (and scenic) routes in the US, driver survey shows
Pennsylvania’s Route 6
Although Route 6 lacks interstate speeds, most of the time you will be driving on a two-lane highway with speed limits that decrease as you pass through each small town along the 403-mile journey. The pace can feel a bit slow-going compared to interstate highways. The speed limit on Route 6 is set at 55 miles per hour.
It’s also sparsely populated, meaning drivers may need to wait for help to arrive if needed, especially in the more rural areas, according to the Pike County Courier. Drivers should bring along emergency supplies and essentials.
According to Ready.gov, a stocked car emergency kit should contain:
A set of jumper cables
Emergency flares or a reflective triangle
An ice scraper
A cell phone charger you can use in your car
Blankets
A road atlas
Kitty litter or sand for better tire traction in the snow or ice
Portions of Route 6 have also been prone to fatal crashes, according to a 2019 analysis of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation data published in the Pocono Record.
Looking at state crash data between 2007 and 2017, the portion of Route 6 in Meshoppen Township in Wyoming County was the site of seven fatal accidents in about 3.5 miles. From Dingman Township to Shohola Township in Pike County during that same time period, there were nine fatal car crashes across 6.5 miles of Route 6, the analysis found.
Still, Route 6 offers scores of spectacular things to see and do as the state’s most scenic highway. In the fall, you can take the route along the state’s northern tier and catch some jaw-dropping views of fiery forests.
There’s plenty to see year-round, too. You can stroll along the breath-taking Kinzua Skywalk and look through the glass platform at its end to see the 600-foot drop to the Allegheny National Forest below.
In Tioga County, about halfway along Route 6, there’s the spectacular Pine Creek Gorge, popularly known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.
