Highway 138
Highway 138 gained its notoriety when the television show Dateline investigated its deadly reputation for its story on America’s most deadly roadways. The section east of Palmdale and west of Interstate 15 was determined to be the worst area of road in the country. The problem is said to be the wide variety of dangers faced on the road as it typifies the issues California drivers face on the states profusion of two lane highways. In its early days, Highway 138 served as a rural, farm to market travel way. The traffic was slim to none, except on market days. Its original travelers were in considerably smaller cars, going at much slower speeds. Today, the vehicles are much greater in number, size and speed, overloading the original intent of the highway. To add insult to injury, modern day travelers have designated the highway the short and scenic route to Las Vegas, hence it is often inundated with drunk drivers.