Maryland isn't known for being particularly scary. In fact, most residents will laugh you out of the room if you even mentioned the idea to them.

That is, until the Chesapeake Bay Bridge comes up. At a height of up to 186 feet and a length of nearly five miles, the bridge is widely considered to be the scariest of its kind in America.

Motorists driving to the other side are often already wary of its straight drop into the sea, with no emergency or shoulder lanes. It's a situation which is only made worse by the frequent storms which cause waves to pound the sides.

The bridge causes such anxiety that special services offer to drive motorists across the bridge for about $50 for a return trip.

Bridge drivers often have to work as temporary psychologists for everyday tough guys like construction workers who sometimes ride at the back of their trucks with their hats pulled over their eyes and passengers who ask to be placed in their trunk so as not to see any part of the journey.

Perhaps they're right to feel so terrified, as the bridge has been the site of many deaths from car accidents and suicides.

In 2013, a woman named Morgan Lake was one of the few people to survive the experience after her car flew over the bridge after being hit by a truck. The incident led the AAA to call for a review of the bridge's barrier.

But changes have not come quickly enough.  In 2017, a truck went over the guardrails while trying to pass another vehicle. The height of the bridge meant wind speeds carried the truck like a sail and deposited it in the water. The driver of the truck, Joseph Chen, did not survive.  

Perhaps the people who are unable to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge suffer from acrophobia (which is a fear of heights) and gephyrophobia (a fear of bridges).

Many Bay locals disagree though. In the words of one resident, "The Bay Bridge just freaks me out. I think it freaks everybody out."

Do you think you could drive over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?