Bridge Suicide Prevention Measures Taken

The Golden Gate Bridge stands proudly over the San Francisco Bay, a great feat of architecture, design and engineering that is visited annually by thousands of travelers from all over the world. Frommer's Travel Guide describes the bridge, which opened to the public in 1937, as "possibly the most beautiful, and certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world." But the breathtaking, 4,200 foot span of steel harbors a very dark secret: it is the second most popular place to commit suicide. In the world.

The Golden Gate Bridge, as seen from the side view connecting San Francisco and Marin County. 

Despite installing phones that connect directly to suicide prevention hotlines, bridge workers spending volunteer hours patrolling the bridge to watch for jumpers and closing the bridge to pedestrians at night, a record number of at least 1600 suicides have successfully taken place since the bridge opened. All of that is hopefully about to change: after years of battling with the transportation department, a group of concerned citizens has finally gotten the approval for the installation of suicide nets, which will be added to the bridge within the next three years.

The purpose of the nets is two-fold; first, engineers designed them as a deterrent for anyone climbing and jumping from the Bay side of the bridge, which is accessible to pedestrians. Secondly, anyone who does choose to jump will likely sustain injury but survive. The common belief from psychologists and mental health professionals is that once someone has a suicide plan derailed, they are less likely to attempt again, or in another manner. A precedent has been set nationwide, with similar nets being installed on the Memorial Bridge in Augusta, Maine and the Duke Ellington Bridge in Washington, DC.

Suicide nets installed on the Thurston Bridge in Ithaca, NY, prompted by
an alarmingly high number of suicides by students at Cornell University. 

The Golden Gate bridge is not the only bridge that will soon be getting the suicide prevention treatment. The under-construction Goethals Bridge in New York City will be adding the nets as well, thanks to approval and funding from the Port Authority. It is believed by both California and New York transportation departments that these new additions will help rebuild the reputations of the bridges, casting them in a positive light after years of tragedy.

The new Goethals Bridge design in NYC will allow for suicide nets along the midspan.

For those of you more interested in the psychological research behind the development of suicide netting, Psych Central does a great job of explaining their benefits in this article. You can also read more about the Golden Gate and Goethals bridge projects here and here.

Suicide is a subject taken very seriously in the United States as it claims over 38,000 lives a year, and it is the 10th leading cause of death. Any measures taken, especially at such prominent locations as the Golden Gate Bridge, is another step in the right direction to help those who need help the most.

If you or a loved one is in need of mental health treatment, you can call the national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit them on the web at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.