One of the most beautiful landmarks in the United States, the Golden Gate Bridge, is said to be a "suicide magnet." That's why government officials have installed a safety net on the sides of the bridge to prevent possible deaths caused by suicide.
The Golden Gate Bridge, which is known as an iconic landmark, is often used as an outlet for people that are bound to commit suicide. It's been one of the main destinations for suicide attempts since it was constructed. In 2016, around 40 people died after jumping off the bridge, while another 200 were talked out of committing suicide while standing on the bridge.
The increasing number of suicide attempts caused an alarm among officials, thus they came up with a way to cut down the risks. California officials agreed to put up a "suicide deterrent net" that will spread on both sides of the bridge.
“The Golden Gate Bridge is a source of immense pride to San Francisco. But for too many families in our community, it has also been a place of pain,” Pelosi, who represents the San Francisco area in Congress, told TIME in a statement on Wednesday. "The barrier is a suicide deterrent system that will save countless lives" and "an achievement years in the making."
The entire project, which costs around $200 million, is expected to be accomplished by 2021. Though its initial price was only $76 million, the numbers continually increased since the implantation was approved.
The experimental nature of the project is one of the causes as to why the numbers soared. The stainless steel mesh net will be placed just 20 feet outside of its edges.
It remained unclear as to why the Golden Gate Bridge attracts thousands to jump off its edges. A study published in NCBI came up with a theory where it was mentioned that the beauty of the bridge provided an easy outlet for them to jump off.
