Comments on: Handy Tips: Avoiding Dooring

By: Simon White

Simon White — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 08:53:46 +0000

In reply to Darren. Aiming towards the car in response to a door opening has a huge risk. That door is very sharp, and it gets sharper and a lot harder the closer it is to closed. If the driver sees the bike they will pull the door in, but if they already have a foot out they can't close it completely.

By: Simon White

Simon White — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 08:48:59 +0000

In reply to Julian Clothier.

Using the left hand to open the door would be a good thing for a public education campaign. It is law in Holland isn’t it?
People claim to care about injuring other people but history shows they care a hell of a lot more about the risk of legal penalties and of being held by a court to have been in the wrong when someone was injured. That’s why we have big penalties for drunk driving.

My Corolla 4 door opens 900mm, so wouldn’t big cars and SUVs open more?
I thought I was safe when I was doored and bounced into the middle of the lane in rush hour. It was a 2 door car, they have much longer doors.

Those dotted lines to indicate the door zone make no sense to me – doors open far wider than that. I think they are actively luring cyclists into the door zone. Or is the idea that they indicate where a minimally opened door comes to, and when people open wider than that it is just bad luck?

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 07:05:16 +0000

Vigorously pursuing legal action against people who ‘door’. Lobby politicians to stop police being soft on people who ‘door’ cyclists. Currently unless injury involves overnight care in hospital Northland police only give warnings for ‘dooring’. Campaign for greater driver awareness. To be honest this article is like telling girls to wear sensible skirts or they might get raped instead of telling men to not rape. An apology for bad drivers in general.

By: Julian Clothier

Julian Clothier — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 09:16:48 +0000

I have been "Doored" 3 times in recent years. Last one off work nearly a year. It may be an offence to open a car door and hit a cyclist, however in my case the driver had 3 witnesses and I had none. So, police said not in their interest to prosecute as the cost of getting it to court was much too high compared to the fine that may be imposed.
What the hell…
So when I have to ride beside parked cars I do ride quite close on the basis that as the door opens I can steer into the gap and use the door to take the impact and maybe get the driver as well. It works!

By: Alastair Brown

Alastair Brown — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 22:15:01 +0000

Sometimes I’m inclined to think that the cycle lane is just the 100mm wide white lane marking.

By: Chrissie Williams

Chrissie Williams — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 08:35:23 +0000

I still have some stickers! The road safety committee supported them after my 1998 car dooring that left me in intensive care for 3 weeks and hospital for 3 months .

By: bighatshop

bighatshop — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 04:53:19 +0000

Here’s an updated (temporary) link for the Wellington info – we’re working through some WordPress problems… https://cycwell.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/minding-the-gap-and-the-door-zone/

By: Darren

Darren — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 20:46:47 +0000

Another thing worth mentioning is pre-planned behaviour if you encounter a door opening and can’t avoid it. Just like what defensive driving teaches with an unavoidable incoming car….hard left!
Most fatalities on ‘dooring’ occur because the door knocks the cyclist off and into the traffic. An experienced motocross friend says ‘throw yourself into the car’ far better than under the following truck