Please stop repeating myths and hearsay and rumors. There are not "frequent instances of travelers taking a wrong turn and ending up with a slug in their skull."
Cite legitimate news sources if you wish to defend your view.
The percentage of all foreign tourists who experience any kind of incident in Brazil is very small, whereas going to a concert these days (Las Vegas, Paris, England) ....... seems pretty risky.
The drive you are talking about is straightforward, right through the city on a main highway and onto the highway north, around 120 miles total.