Highest paved international road in the world is nestled in the mountains of Bolivia and is so fundamentally terrifying it claims dozens of vehicles a year.

A closer look

Highest paved international road in the world is nestled in the mountains of Bolivia and is so fundamentally terrifying it claims dozens of vehicles a year. The North Yungas Road, historically dubbed the Death Road, features a steep descent of over eleven thousand feet with practically zero guardrails protecting drivers from the gaping, cloudy abyss below. Because the road is mostly a single lane carved out of crumbling rock, local transit rules dictate that uphill drivers have the right of way, while downhill drivers must reverse towards the precipice to let others pass. It is essentially a high-altitude game of Russian roulette played with overloaded cargo trucks and terrified tourists on mountain bikes. The fact that it is considered an essential trade route rather than a horror movie set is mind-boggling