Infrastructure is the backbone of any thriving economy and society.
It ensures that people can access essential services, resources, and opportunities, including healthcare, education, recreation, jobs, and basic human needs like water, food, and housing.
In addition to its usual services and functions, infrastructure can also be built to save lives.
Fox News reports that San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge added a lifesaving feature to prevent deaths from individuals jumping off the bridge.
Since the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937, close to 2000 people have attempted suicide by jumping off the bridge. Every year, 30 people succeed in taking their lives.
The suicide deterrent system, installed on January 1, 2024, consists of safety nets built along 95% of both sides of the bridge. The nets are 20 feet below the bridge’s sidewalks and extend 20 feet outwards.
Its purpose is to reduce the number of deaths and to deter people from leaping off the bridge.
According to Fox, these nets are “marine-grade stainless steel that can withstand the harsh environment that includes salt water, fog, and strong winds that often envelop the striking orange structure at the mouth of the San Francisco Bay.”
Since its construction, confirmed suicides have fallen by almost half, from 30 down to 14 attempts. There were also many instances when people were rescued from these nets after jumping.
One of the suicide survivors, Kevin Hines, who jumped off in 2000 at age 19, says that he immediately regretted the decision to leap. He broke a few bones in his back when he landed on the Pacific Ocean.
Now, he works as a suicide prevention advocate and expresses his appreciation for the people who made this added feature on the Golden Gate Bridge a reality.
An effective suicide deterrent
According to the Golden Gate Bridge website, the safety net project is unique due to its vast scale and maritime location. However, it is modeled on similar systems that have been installed in various locations around the world for almost two decades. They have proven to be exceptionally effective deterrents to suicide.
“The 1978 Seiden study at the Golden Gate Bridge showed that 90 percent of those stopped from jumping did not later die by suicide or other violent means. A Harvard School of Public Health article reviewing numerous studies showed more broadly that “Nine out of ten people who attempt suicide and survive will not go on to die by suicide at a later date.”
Broader safety-in-design principles can be applied to all infrastructure to ensure what is built is fit for purpose and safe for those who use the infrastructure.
Sources:
Rousselle, C. (2024, January 4). San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge adds lifesaving feature. Fox News. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/san-francisco-golden-gate-bridge-adds-lifesaving-feature
Seiden, R. H. (1978). Where are they now? A follow‐up study of suicide attempters from the Golden Gate Bridge. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Behavior, 8(4), 203-216.
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