SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Early results of a study are coming in on the best structurally viable method to prevent people from committing suicide from San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
Some early findings of the two-year, $1.78 million study released Friday include building a 14-foot-high railing where there currently is a four-foot railing.
Tests are now under way on what height is best -- from eight to 14 feet, Mary Currie, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
It's not a simple matter of building a higher barrier since wind and the overall flexibility of the suspension bridge come into play. The solution, Currie said, could be tricky because any "barrier higher than the existing one could be only 12-to-24 percent solid because of wind conditions on the suspension span."
More than 1,250 people have jumped to their deaths from the landmark bridge since it opened in 1937.
