This article is about bridges used to die by suicide.
For Suicide Bridge in London, see A1 road (London).
For the novel see Suicide Bridge

Suicide Bridge

Suicide Bridge is a novel by Iain Sinclair.The book examines the characters of William Blake's Jerusalem as influenced by their psychogeography.The book mixes poetry with prose essays.-External links:*, militant esthetix, Ben Watson...

.

A suicide bridge is a bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

 used frequently to die by suicide

Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

, most typically by jumping off and into the water below (because a fall from that height into the water is almost inevitably fatal).

The Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...

 in San Francisco

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

 has had more suicides than any other in the world, the number currently being over 1,200. In 2005, documentary filmmaker Eric Steel

Eric Steel

Eric Steel is a filmmaker and producer, best known for his controversial documentary The Bridge. He graduated from Yale University in 1985.-The Bridge:Steel's directorial debut was the 2006 documentary The Bridge...

 set off controversy by revealing that he had tricked the bridge committee into allowing him to film the Golden Gate for months, and had captured 23 suicides on film for his documentary The Bridge

The Bridge (documentary film)

The Bridge is a 2006 documentary film by Eric Steel that consists of the results of one year's filming of the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004, which captured a number of suicides, and additional filming of family and friends of some of the identified people who had jumped off the bridge...

. In March 2005, San Francisco supervisor Tom Ammiano proposed funding a study on erecting a suicide barrier

Suicide barrier

A suicide barrier is a barrier on a bridge , observation deck or other structure designed to prevent people from attempting suicide by deliberately jumping...

 on the bridge.

In Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

, more than 230 people have died by suicide from the George Washington Memorial Bridge

George Washington Memorial Bridge

For other bridges of the same name, see Washington Bridge .The George Washington Memorial Bridge is a cantilever and truss bridge that carries Aurora Avenue N. over the west end of Seattle's Lake Union between Queen Anne and Fremont, just east of the Fremont Cut...

, making it the second deadliest suicide bridge in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. In a span of a decade ending in January 2007, nearly 50 people jumped to their deaths, nine in 2006. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2014235986_aurorabridge.html. At a cost of $5,000,000, a suicide barrier was completed on February 16, 2011.
The San Diego-Coronado Bridge

San Diego-Coronado Bridge

The San Diego-Coronado Bridge, locally referred to as the Coronado Bridge, is a "prestressed concrete/steel" girder bridge, crossing over San Diego Bay in the United States, linking San Diego with Coronado, California...

 is the third deadliest suicide bridge in the U.S., followed by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Sunshine Skyway Bridge

The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a bridge spanning Tampa Bay, Florida, with a cable-stayed main span, and a total length of 21,877 feet . It is part of I-275 and US 19 , connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing through Hillsborough...

 in St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...

.

The Cold Spring Canyon Bridge

Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge

The Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge in the Santa Ynez Mountains links Santa Barbara, California with Santa Ynez, California. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 154. The current bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 1963 and won awards for engineering, design and beauty. It is...

 in Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County, California

Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...

 has seen 55 jumps by suicide since opening in 1964, including 7 in 2009. A proposal to install a barrier
on this bridge has brought intense debate.

About 300 people have jumped to their death from the Nusle Bridge

Nusle Bridge

Nusle Bridge is a concrete viaduct in Prague, passing over the district of Nusle in Prague 4. It spans the Nusle Valley and connects the Pankrác district and south-eastern parts of the city, as well as the D1 motorway with the central part of the city. Below the six-lane highway on the surface,...

, in Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

, Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

. Barriers almost 3 metres high were erected here in 1997 with aim to prevent further jumps. In 2007, the fencing was topped off with a 3 foot (0.9144 m) of polished metal to make it impossible to climb.

Over 81 people have jumped to their death from the Van Stadens Bridge

Van Stadens Bridge

The Van Stadens Bridge is a concrete arch bridge over the Van Stadens River in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It carries road traffic for the N2 national highway.- Suicides at Van Stadens Bridge :...

, near Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

.

A notable suicide bridge in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 is the Hornsey Lane Bridge, which passes over Archway Road and connects the Highgate

Highgate

Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....

 and Crouch End

Crouch End

Crouch End is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Haringey.- Location :Crouch End is in a valley between Harringay to the east, Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green to the north, Finsbury Park and Archway to the south and Highgate to the west...

 areas. The bridge provides views of notable landmarks such as St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...

 and The Gherkin.

To reach such locations, those with the intention to die by suicide must often walk long distances to reach the point where they finally decide to jump. For example, some jumpers have travelled over the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge by automobile to reach the Golden Gate.

Suicide prevention advocates believe that suicide by bridge is more likely to be impulsive than other means, and that barriers can have a significant effect on reducing the incidence of suicides by bridge. One study showed that installing barriers on the Duke Ellington Bridge

Duke Ellington Bridge

The Duke Ellington Bridge, named after Duke Ellington, carries Calvert Street NW over Rock Creek in Washington, D.C., United States. It connects 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan with Connecticut Avenue NW in Woodley Park, just north of the Taft Bridge....

 in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 – which has a high incidence of suicide – did not cause an increase of suicides at the nearby Taft Bridge

Taft Bridge

The Taft Bridge, also known as the Connecticut Avenue Bridge or William Howard Taft Bridge, is a historic bridge located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. It carries Connecticut Avenue over the Rock Creek gorge, including Rock Creek and the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, connecting the...

. Families of victims and groups that help the mentally ill have lobbied governments to erect similar barriers. One such barrier is the Luminous Veil

Luminous Veil

The Luminous Veil is an anti-suicide barrier that was added to the Prince Edward Viaduct in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. First approved by the Toronto City Council in 1998, the construction of the Luminous Veil was delayed for years because of concerns about funding. During the delays in...

 on the Prince Edward Viaduct

Prince Edward Viaduct

The Prince Edward Viaduct System, commonly referred to as the Bloor Viaduct or the viaduct, is the name of a truss arch bridge system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that connects Bloor Street East, on the west side of the system, with Danforth Avenue on the east...

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, once considered the world's second most deadly bridge with over 400 jumps on record. The Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...

, The West Gate Bridge

West Gate Bridge

The West Gate Bridge is a steel box girder cable-stayed bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It spans the Yarra River, just north of its mouth into Port Phillip, and is a vital link between the inner city and Melbourne's western suburbs with the industrial suburbs in the west and with the city...

 in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, the Jacques Cartier Bridge

Jacques Cartier Bridge

The Jacques Cartier Bridge is a steel truss cantilever bridge crossing the Saint Lawrence River from Montreal Island, Montreal, Quebec to the south shore at Longueuil, Quebec, Canada...

 in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 and the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena

Pasadena, California

Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 have also seen barriers erected.

Special telephones with connections to crisis hotline

Crisis hotline

A crisis hotline is a phone number people can call to get immediate emergency telephone counseling, usually by trained volunteers. Such hotlines have existed in most major cities of the United States at least since the mid-1970s. Initially set up to help those contemplating suicide, many have...

s are sometimes installed on bridges.

External links

• Golden Gate bridge - Graph of suicides per year
• Lethal Beauty, a series of articles from the San Francisco Chronicle about suicides on the Golden Gate Bridge.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Kristin Brooks Hope Center
• Hanns Jones, a bridge suicide jump survivor invents a prevention device.
• The Skyway Bridge, detailed documentation of Skyway Bridge suicides in Florida.