Driving Safety on the Golden Gate Bridge

On Thursday June 16, 2011, 19-year-old Mark Henry was traveling northbound on the Golden Gate Bridge and crossed over into the southbound lanes for reasons unknown. This caused a collision with two cars and three people were taken to San Francisco General Hospital for injuries.  This caused a bridge closure for 50 minutes. For more on this story, click here: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110617/articles/110619556&tc=yahoo?tc=ar

The Golden Gate Bridge is a world famous tourist attraction as well as a main artery connecting Marin County to San Francisco. As of right now, the only barrier dividing northbound and southbound lanes are bright yellow lane markers that are inserted into the road. This allows for the number of lanes in any direction to adapt to the flow of traffic. For example, during the morning commute hours, traffic crews might dedicate four lanes going into San Francisco and leave two lanes traveling northbound to Marin County.

Drivers must use caution when driving over the Bridge. The lane markers are nothing more than sturdy cylindrical plastics, and they will not prevent a car from crossing into oncoming traffic. While there have been discussions about implementing better safety measures, there are none at the moment. A simple distraction can cause a driver to swerve onto oncoming traffic. Simple things like a text message, phone call, setting a GPS destination, or simply avoiding an obstruction on the road can end up being costly on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Please try to eliminate all distractions while driving, but especially on the Golden Gate Bridge. When there is the possibility of a car traveling in the opposite direction only inches from your car with nothing more than plastic cylinders between you, being mindful of your surroundings and paying attention to the road can potentially save you from an accident and injuries.