San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has undergone a massive change after adding a suicide prevention net to the sides of the structure, hoping to save as many as 30 lives a year that the bridge’s website claims have been lost annually atop the bridge. According to the website, the “Suicide Deterrent Net,” or the safety net, is now in place and ready to begin saving lives.
In an update posted to the official website of the Golden Gate Bridge, a new update on the program was released to give a January 2024 update on the progress of the build. The website proudly proclaimed that the project was completed, with the net now spanning the entire bridge along with vertical fencing put in place to aid in the usefulness of the project.
In response to people wondering why the net was necessary to be installed along the edges of the monumental bridge, the post said, “The purpose of the net is to reduce the number of deaths associated with individuals jumping off the Bridge. The net is a proven design that deters people from jumping, serves as a symbol of care and hope to despondent individuals, and, if necessary, offers people a second chance.”
The problem is clearly defined on the official page of the Suicide Deterrent Net, saying that due to a high frequency of people attempting to end their lives on the Golden Gate Bridge, something had to be done. They wrote, “On average, 30 people or more die from suicide here each year. Hundreds more are stopped from harming themselves through the efforts of the Golden Gate Bridge District Patrol, California Highway Patrol, other law enforcement, and citizen intervention. Ultimately, a physical barrier is needed to stop this tragedy.”
In order to ensure that jumping into the net does not become a way to play on the bridge or something that thrill seekers begin doing, the website noted that landing on the net is designed to be painful to add yet another deterrent to the already proven system. It will reach 20 feet out from the sidewalk and will sit 20 feet below the walking portion of the bridge.
According to the January 2024 update, the net is already working as intended and saving lives. They wrote, “The net is already working as intended to save lives and deter people from coming to the Bridge to harm themselves. Over the last 20 years, on average, there have been 30 confirmed suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge every year. In 2023, while the net was still under construction, there were 14 confirmed suicides, reducing the average number of suicides by more than half. While the net was under construction, the majority of suicides occurred when people found gaps where netting was not yet installed and jumped.”
The Suicide Deterrent Net has been long in the works by the folks at the Golden Gate Bridge, and now, with its completion, there is palpable excitement for the lifesaving ability that it may show in coming years. By addressing one of the major issues with the Golden Gate Bridge, the team has created a more community-friendly structure in the busiest part of San Francisco.
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