2018 Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Statistics
Confirmed suicides during the year: 27
Unconfirmed suicides during the year: 4
Interventions during the year: 187
Suicides & interventions during the year: 218
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2017 Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Statistics
Confirmed suicides during the year: 33
Unconfirmed suicides during the year: 0
Interventions during the year: 245
Suicides & interventions during the year: 278
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Fewer Suicides in 2018
In 2018 there were 27 confirmed suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge and four suicides that, as of this writing, haven't been confirmed. This is the fewest number of suicides from the bridge in recent years. For the nine-year period 2010 through 2018, there were 330 suicide deaths, an average of 37 per year. Of these, 311 were confirmed. The main reason why a death isn't confirmed is because a body isn't recovered. An eyewitness to a jump or an abandoned car at the bridge with a suicide note in it make a suicide probable but not certain.
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Increased Patrols
Since 2010. the Bridge District has increased staffing so that more foot, bicycle, and motorcycle patrols are conducted on the bridge. In addition, the installation of temporary fencing in some areas, a precursor to the net, has restricted access to sections of the pedestrian walkway on the east side of the bridge and the bicycle path on the west side. According to Bridge District staff, there have been more than 1,300 interventions in the past nine years, meaning a potential jump was averted by Bridge Patrol and CHP officers.
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The Need for a Barrier
The need for a physical suicide barrier was established long before this decade began. What is clear now is that increased patrols and temporary fencing help reduce the number of suicides, but a permanent barrier is the only real solution. This argument has been won at the Golden Gate Bridge, but continues elsewhere across the country. We need to ensure that the story of the suicide deterrent system on San Francisco's iconic span is shared, understood, and taken to heart by suicide prevention advocates, transportation officials, first responders, and others across America.
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