The secret of a Peruvian bus driving career? Take the mountains at your own pace. In Peru's finest mountain ranges, passenger commutes can kill them. As the BBC reports, the world's most dangerous bus route drops 1,000 meters with a series of switchbacks known as horse murderers.
More than 1,000 lives are lost on Peruvian mountain trails each year, and BBC Earth Explore reports in a video documenting the route. The short documentary follows the driver of a bus named Glorioso as he navigates this fatal descent. Monuments to the dead can be seen straddle the edges of these dangerous roads.
For Glorioso, driving has become a regular thing – he has been driving the same route for 12 years. As the bus slowly passes through the curve, its wheels are only a few centimeters from the enormous fall, and Glorioso's face remains calm.
“Thank God, the Lord has always kept me,” he says.
Further down the valley, the journey becomes the most difficult, with very steep drop-offs and no way to bypass any approaching vehicles.
The local proverb says that “it's better to arrive a little later than the next world,” and the passengers in the video don't seem too worried about their fate. Taking a nap on the journey, they patiently endure the commute – one curve at a time.
Peruvian roads, especially the Andes roads, suffer from dangerous turns and sudden drop-offs, are important lifelines for remote areas, connecting people to hospitals, schools and loved ones. However, there is a constant risk.
YouTube users commented under the BBC video. “I'm Peruvian. They filmed this on a nice day, they risk their lives to protect God's blessings, protecting brave drivers and feeding their families every day.
“I remember those cross-country bus rides. Passengers have to help when the bus breaks down or the engine overheart or wheels get clogged with mud. Those remote people are eager to go to nearby hospitals, schools or weddings. It's a lifeline.
