New guard rails causing accidents on Golden Gate Bridge

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It has become a common sight at the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza - work crews repairing barriers between the old toll booths.

The new guard rails are protecting the toll booths at the Golden Gate Bridge from being hit by cars, but now drivers are hitting those guard rails just about every day.

Last Friday, John Wilson became the 29th of what are now 32 impacts since January 12.

He hit a barrier, which forms an opening 10-and-a-half inches narrower than previous versions, which used to be flush with the concrete.

Those smaller openings may have contributed to a five-fold increase incidents compared with the same period last year.

"We did not anticipate more people hitting the barriers. We question if that is actually the case," said Bridge Manager Kary H. Witt.

Witt blames drivers going in excess of 25 miles an hour through openings designed in a day when people stopped to pay tolls. Despite these barrier overlaps, the district insists lane widths remain the same at their narrowest points.

"It is narrower in the middle where you used to pay the toll," he said.

The district describes the new barriers as now complying with federal highway guidelines.

They have also cost the bridge $187,000 for repairs in less than three months.

"When it comes to the potential for the loss of life or a serious injury in a head-on collision with a fixed, concrete block, there are no trade-offs. We went to the safest system we could get," said Witt.

Safer and more expensive on both sides of a collision.