The Worst Traffic Jam Ever Recorded Happened 15 Years Ago In China And Lasted 12 Days

We’ve all been part of plenty of traffic jams in our lives, but no matter how frustrating and annoying even the worst traffic jam you’ve ever experienced was, it probably wasn’t bad enough to justify a 41-minute video. Then again, the worst traffic jam you’ve ever been part of probably didn’t even last more than a few hours, much less a full day. Certainly not multiple days or a full week. But 15 years ago, drivers on China’s G110 highway experienced a traffic jam that lasted for a whopping 12 days, making it the worst traffic jam ever recorded.

Take a step back and think about that one for a moment. Twelve days. That’s nearly two weeks. Odds are, you wouldn’t die of starvation in only 12 days, but you’d definitely be hungry. Sure, you may have a few snacks in your car, but I’ve never met anyone who keeps their trunk stocked with two weeks’ worth of supplies. And while the vast majority of people who get “hangry” after a few hours are just self-centered and looking for a way to excuse mistreating others, by day 12, I think a bit of a short temper could be expected. Of course, you also wouldn’t make it to day 12 without water, which is a much more serious concern. 

So how did this happen? And how did the folks stuck in the traffic jam survive? Well, remember what I said about a 41-minute video? Our friends at Regular Car Reviews recently took a deep dive into the worst traffic jam in recorded history, and while it’s long, it’s also absolutely fascinating.

This whole thing started on August 14, 2010, near Hebei and Inner Mongolia. China had certainly experienced some pretty big traffic jams before, and the G110 was no exception to that rule. Part of what made this particular traffic jam worse than previous ones was that it took place on a particularly hot day, leaving drivers to choose between turning off their engines to save gas and leaving their cars on to run the A/C. 

There was also a large number of commercial trucks hauling raw materials on the highway, and road construction also cut down on the number of travel lanes available. Slowly, the traffic jam built up and grew from what could have just been a really annoying delay into a 60-mile-long traffic jam. And while cars were still moving (albeit slowly) and it doesn’t sound like anyone was actually stuck for the entire 12 days, as the Roman points out, many people were still reportedly stuck out there for five full days.

Don’t forget, people also have to go to the bathroom, usually multiple times a day, and while they could probably hold off on pooping for at least a few hours, at a certain point, it’s got to come out. So imagine being stuck in the worst traffic jam you could possibly imagine, on a sweltering hot day, surrounded by a bunch of people blasting ass on the side of the road. Talk about a great smell. Even developing nose blindness probably wouldn’t have been enough to save you from the horror.

The jam was so bad and lasted for so long, an entire roadside economy popped up, with vendors riding bikes into the jam to sell food and water to the stranded motorists. Which was great for not dying, but how happy would you be if a $1 water cost you $15, and the alternative to paying it was to simply die of thirst? But hey, at least it makes whatever traffic jams you get stuck in this weekend seem pretty minor in comparison.