This Scenic Arizona Road Is the Most Distracting Drive in the U.S., According to a New Report

Some roads are simply more beautiful than others. Some are so stunning, in fact, that they are downright distracting. And new research from the personal injury law firm Jason Stone Injury Lawyers is showcasing which American roadways are in the latter. 

In May, the law firm dropped its research report, which analyzed America’s byways based on a host of scenic factors that the lawyers said “could distract the driver’s attention.”

The researchers focused their work on the All-American Roads (AAR), as designated by the Federal Highway Administration. As the administration described, “to be designated as an All-American Road, a byway must meet criteria for at least two intrinsic qualities that are nationally significant and have one-of-a-kind features that do not exist elsewhere. The road or highway must also be considered a ‘destination unto itself.’ That is, the road must provide an exceptional traveling experience so recognized by travelers that they would make a drive along the highway a primary reason for their trip.” 

The study then ranked which of these are the most distracting based on the number of related hashtags mentions they receive on Instagram and paired this with their individual TripAdvisor ratings. After looking at the data, it named the Red Rock Scenic Byway in Arizona the nation’s most distracting. 

“The iconic red sandstone canyon near Sedona city measures only 7.5 miles, but visitors will likely spend more time there than just the 20 minutes it takes to cover the entire byway,” the findings noted. “The Red Rock has a record 1.68 million related hashtags on Instagram and 4,285 reviews on TripAdvisor rating it as a 5-star scenic drive.” 

However, the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada came in a close second, “as one of the hardest roads to concentrate on while driving,” thanks to all those glowing lights. The road, the team added, has ​​1,460,384 hashtag mentions with an average TripAdvisor rating of 4.5 stars. 

Joining these two on the list are the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and the Acadia Byway in Maine in third and fourth place, which both feature gorgeous natural scenery that is absolutely worth pulling over to view. Two California roadways, the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway and the Big Sur Coast Highway (aka Highway 1), round out the top five. 

“Some of these roads are so mesmerizing that it is easy for drivers to get distracted by all these beautiful surroundings our country has to offer,” a spokesperson for Jason Stone Injury Lawyers shared.

But they also offered this advice: “Some people might even be tempted to slow down as they reach a particularly eye-catching view. Therefore, it is sensible to make regular pitstops along the way to enjoy the scenery and, ideally, have an alternative driver always available in the front passenger seat.”