Child Death Review Report
Posted December 2, 2008 by Sacha Peter - Link
Category: Transportation
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The child death review unit released their report and 17 recommendations. The report can be found here, with a direct link to the 1.7 MB report here (PDF).
Most of what has received media attention was recommendation 10, which is the following:
Means restriction
Restricting access to lethal means of self-injury can make the difference between a death and an opportunity to help a distressed individual, and is considered one of the most effective universal approaches to suicide prevention (Kirmayer et al., 2007). Evidence indicates that physical safety barriers or safety nets on bridges significantly reduce suicide by jumping from those locations (Beautrais, 2007) as well as from surrounding locations (Bennewith, Nowers & Gunnell, 2007).
Recommendation 10
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Improve means restriction efforts in B.C. by:
• retrofitting the five bridges in B.C. that are responsible for over 50 per cent of suicide deaths by jumping from 1991 to 2007 (Burrard Street Bridge, Granville Street Bridge, Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, Lions Gate Bridge, Pattullo Bridge) with barriers to prevent future suicide deaths by jumping.
• developing policy that establishes criteria for determining when bridges should be outfitted with barriers to prevent suicide by jumping, and enforcing this policy in the construction of all new bridges in B.C.
I will not discuss further about social policy relating to this issue, nor any electoral impact (if any).