Advocacy & Safety - Being “Doored”

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/on-dooring-of-bicyclists-and-experts-fees/

On ‘Dooring’ of Bicyclists, and Experts’ Fees
By AL BAKER

Cyclists sometimes call it “the door prize,” or simply being “doored.”

And in a city where the tension between two- and four-wheeled transportation devices can sometimes seem as shrill as the sound of squeaky brakes, accounts of collisions between bicyclists and drivers are passed around on blogs, in newspapers and among members of various cycling clubs and organizations.

One compilation of episodes in which drivers opened the doors of their parked vehicles into the path of oncoming cyclists can be found on BicycleSafe.com and includes details of cases from places as diverse as India, Canada, Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco.

Among the harrowing accounts is one about Dana Laird, 36, a “doctoral student at the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts,” who was killed in 2002 as she rode along Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Mass.

It said: “A motorist opened the door of a parked sport utility vehicle across the bike lane in which Ms. Laird was traveling. Ms. Laird swerved and lost control. According to eyewitness accounts, she yelled, `flew through the air,’ and apparently struck the door. She went under the right rear wheels of a passing transit bus, and she was killed instantly.”

Such collisions are not foreign in New York City — and they can lead to occasional charges being lodged by the police or prosecutors, depending on the circumstances.

In a crash on Atlantic and Washington Avenues in Brooklyn on Sept. 11, a driver opened her car door into the path of Jasmine Herron, who was bicycling by, sending her into an oncoming bus that struck and killed her, officials said. Among the charges filed against the driver, Krystal Francis, was “opening and closing vehicle doors,” a violation of Section 1214 of the State Vehicle and Traffic Law, according to a criminal complaint from the Brooklyn district attorney’s office.

The charge popped up again, this time phrased as “unsafely exiting a vehicle,” in a crash in East Harlem on Friday. In that case, the driver of a 2008 Honda was issued with a summons for “unsafely exiting a vehicle” for opening his car door and causing a bicyclist to fall into the path of an oncoming truck, which killed him, the police said.

The Honda driver, who was not identified by name, was in his parked car and opened his door as the rider, Marcus Ewing, 27, was pedaling his Cannondale bicycle eastbound on East 120th Street, just west of Third Avenue, about 8 a.m., the police said.

The driver of the truck that hit Mr. Ewing was issued five summonses, for equipment violations.

As for the driver whose door knocked over Mr. Ewing, the charge he faces — unsafely exiting a vehicle — “is a V.T.L. traffic summons” (Vehicle and Traffic Law) and not one found in the New York State penal code, according to one city official.

Another official said such citations were aimed at preventing drivers from opening their car doors into traffic in ways that would create “dangerous conditions for bicyclists or motorists” coming by at the same time.

“You cannot just swing your car door open,” the official said.

“It is not that often that officers issue those kinds of tickets,” the official said. And sometimes, it requires a patrol officer to witness the offending behavior for it to rise to a summons, or an inquiry by the Accident Investigation Squad when a death is involved. Then, that sole charge can carry similar penalties to other traffic violations, like going through a red light, the official said.

Whether termed “unsafely exiting a vehicle” or something else, Nick Cantiello, a spokesman for the State Department of Motor Vehicles, sent along a copy of Section 1214 of the State Vehicle and Traffic Law. It said:

Opening and closing vehicle doors. No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.
Mr. Cantiello said the fine for the violation could be as much as $150. Asked about the number of “doorings” — in which people open a door into a bike or a car — he said that as of Oct. 22, there had been 147 tickets issued for that offense around the state.

In all of 2009, he said, there were 179; in all of 2008 there were 207; and in 2007 there were 164.

“So it’s not a lot,” he said. “You can see there’s not a real trend there.”

A spokesman for the New York Police Department said the department did not keep statistics on such incidents around the five boroughs.

Noah S. Budnick, the deputy director of Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit pedestrian and bicycle transportation group financed by members, said the issue of cyclists being hit by doors had long been a concern.

“It’s always been a top complaint and, anecdotally, a major contributing factor to crashes in New York City,” he said. “If you talk to anyone who’s ridden a bike in New York, everyone has a story about, at best, narrowly avoiding a car door that’s been swung open in their path and bike riders quickly learn that one of the safest ways to ride is to take the whole lane, so they are not biking in the door zone.”

Ride in the lane when cars are parked.. problem solved.

From the article "nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers"

That makes me crazy whether biking or driving. Even if they look and there is time to exit, they don't merely exit: they turn around and stick their heads back in the car looking for things, or open the back door and start unloading packages, on the street side! wtf are they thinking? I don't do that for my own safety, nothing to do with not wanting to be in the way, yet I see it every single night.

“So it’s not a lot,” he said. “You can see there’s not a real trend there.”
Is he talking about the tickets or the violations? Does he realize there are violations that occur that are not ticketed, because the moving vehicle manages to avoid the door? How does he know there is no trend? Probably none of us knows for sure, but I imagine it's more than 160ish per year for the whole state.

The driver I especially liked, unlatched his door(I'm assuming, I didn't see that), then leaned over to the right (far enough that he couldn't be seen from traffic) to get something from the far side of the passenger's seat, then kicked the door open with his foot to get out. That one caught me by surprise, fortunately I did manage to avoid it, being tipped off by the small crack between door and car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpZMfkDCe78

here is about how close I get.

I borrowed a very large bike trailer from a student co-op a couple of years ago. The young woman who lent it to me had been car-free for two years and had every intention of staying free. The funny thing is, she gave up driving when she "doored" a large truck. She kicked her door open without looking and it was taken off by a passing truck. She feels lucky to have escaped her stupidity with her left leg intact.

Sometimes its also the cyclists fault: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ9eaXJhl8Q

The topic of cyclists being doored always reminds me of the fatal accident of David Smith in NYC. (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/12/06/2007-12-06_bicyclist_killed_when_car_door_opens_sen.html) Notice that the victim was a very cautious man and had many lights on his bike (he's nickname was "Lights").

I'm curious about how many cyclists are just scuffed up by doorings--I've been doored twice now and have yet to be badly hurt by it-- and therefore aren't included in the stats. I also wonder how tough it would be to really harden up a bike (48-spoke front wheel, maybe with a welded-tubing bashguard) and just take a door off. That'd learn 'em, you betcha.

I was doored badly once as a teenager and learned my lesson forever...The guy bent the frame on my new Peugeot, I sprained both my wrists when I landed and if there had been any traffic coming on the street, I wouldn't be here posting this now.

I'm curious about how many cyclists are just scuffed up by doorings--I've been doored twice now and have yet to be badly hurt by it-- and therefore aren't included in the stats. I also wonder how tough it would be to really harden up a bike (48-spoke front wheel, maybe with a welded-tubing bashguard) and just take a door off. That'd learn 'em, you betcha.

I have never been doored. Just a few close calls. The last one in Vancouver BC around May.
The lack of incidents are most likely due to the locations I tend to ride in.

I really don't picture an experienced rider being doored.
I'm not a "take the lane" rider, but I sure as heck never pass closer than 4.5 feet.
Do experienced riders just "forget" or think they suddenly have X-Ray vision? Or suddenly think drivers actually think about bikes?
If you ride too close to parked cars-you will eventually be doored.
Darwin award.

Not getting doored is the best reason to "take a lane"-not the "I don't want drivers to pass too closely"

That's like saying if I ride in traffic I'll eventually be run over. Sorry, not buying it.

I was in a bus years ago and someone doored us. It snapped the door off like it was a carrot. Bus driver got out and gave them a card and continued with the route.

I've seen cars door other cars, too.

The effect just isn't the same as with a cyclist, though....

It's another reason why I ride slowly--helps a little.

Today I was in what passes for downtown Eugene. I was waiting behind a cyclist at a four-way stop. The oncoming car wanted to turn left (across our path). The cyclist in front of me was waiting for the car to go; the driver wanted the cyclist to go. Just as the car finally went, a car from our left decided he had waited long enough and went. The two cars missed each other by inches. I turned right and, if I had been riding in the door zone would have been doored by the car that had just turned across my path. The driver was still unnerved by his near collision and didn't even think to look before opening his door. I never ride in door zones, even when the bike path is placed in the door zone. Someday I will be ticketed for being out of the bike lane.

The one time I got doored, the timing was such that I couldn't overreact (i.e. swerve into heavy traffic), and I ended up going full on into the inside of the dude's door, with apparently pretty decent speed- I bent the driver door all the way up to the front fender...like a hyper-extended joint, and when he tried to close it again, it wouldn't latch, and just bounced back open. Made a horrible sound. It hurt my knee a little, and I had a car window-shaped bruise across my chest and shoulder, but considering the damage to his car, and especially considering I learned a huge lesson from it, I'd say I took the "Win" on that one- a rarity for dooring victims.

I get the doors & pedestrians thing too often as well, I just realize there are areas where it's going to happen and slowdown, even remain alert and on constant vigil, expecting it to happen. The other day I was riding and a bus and I took turns passing each other. What an annoying trend and cycle to get into. I rode, the bus would come up from behind, pass me, only to stop just ahead at a bus stop. I then retook the lead momentarily by passing the stopped bus. This went on for about 2-3 miles and finally I just got too annoyed with it (I can't imagine it being any more enjoyable for him either), I stopped long enough to let the bus get far enough away.

I can see it happening when a bus passes.They tend to pass slowly and slowly squeeze you closer to parked cars. Of course they shouldn't do this, but they usually do.
Like fugi86 suggests the only thing to do is to slow waaaaay down and make sure your hands are on the brakes!

At 10 mph(15 fps) reaction time is about 10 feet(2/3 second)-stopping time maybe another .5 seconds(4 feet or so). You need about 1 car length but if you can't see the driver you can have close to zero warning-Heck they-drivers-can literally open the door right into the side of your bike.

Comm Ave Boston the right lane is so crazy I take the left lane

Sometimes its also the cyclists fault: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ9eaXJhl8Q

Er, what? Haha... my man the law is against opening the door into any traffic - left or right. I've seen people open the doors from the middle of the road-way consider some bike-lanes which are running to the right of traffic.

btw, nice turn-signal or hazards from the driver.

It's another reason why I ride slowly--helps a little.

I also go crash speed, it's real slow.

I'm curious about how many cyclists are just scuffed up by doorings--I've been doored twice now and have yet to be badly hurt by it-- and therefore aren't included in the stats. I also wonder how tough it would be to really harden up a bike (48-spoke front wheel, maybe with a welded-tubing bashguard) and just take a door off. That'd learn 'em, you betcha.

A lot, most, maybe all, of the experienced urban riders I know have been doored to varying degrees. Some more than once.

Er, what? Haha... my man the law is against opening the door into any traffic - left or right.

Only if your state's legislature is on crack.

Sec. 545.418. OPENING VEHICLE DOORS. A person may not:
(1) open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic, unless the door may be opened in reasonable safety without interfering with the movement of other traffic; or
(2) leave a door on the side of a vehicle next to moving traffic open for longer than is necessary to load or unload a passenger.

No reasonable driver is going to consider a foot or so of gutter pan to be "available to moving traffic."

Never been doored, fortunately, but cut off countless times. The car passes on the left, and then turns right while we're both in the intersection. Many, many near misses. With the doors, it seems, if you think fast enough, the safest thing to do would be to turn into it. With the cut offs, I've vowed, given time and clear thinking, to dismount, throw the bike at the offending car, and hit the pavement myself.

I consider "As far to the right as practical" to be a line that clears the door zone of any car within 200 yards. As a result, just about any time I'm riding on a street that allows parking, I'm in what I consider to be a "narrow outside lane." In most states, a cyclist can take the lane under those conditions. So I do.

I get honked and sworn at now and then, but I've never been doored and never I've never had to swerve to avoid a door. And I ride fast.

Only if your state's legislature is on crack.

Sec. 545.418. OPENING VEHICLE DOORS. A person may not:
(1) open the door of a motor vehicle on the side available to moving traffic, unless the door may be opened in reasonable safety without interfering with the movement of other traffic; or
(2) leave a door on the side of a vehicle next to moving traffic open for longer than is necessary to load or unload a passenger.

No reasonable driver is going to consider a foot or so of gutter pan to be "available to moving traffic."

You a lawyer? Clearly the side opened was available to moving traffic wasn't it. That driver was more than a foot from the curb and had no signal on.

You a lawyer? Clearly the side opened was available to moving traffic wasn't it. That driver was more than a foot from the curb and had no signal on.

Technically, my driveway is available to moving traffic. The fact that traffic moving there would be just as moronic as this idiot passing in the gutter pan means that no reasonable person would be expected to check there.

If, in order not to veer into a coming car on your left, you keep going straight when seeing a car door opening and someone getting off that car, and end up hitting that person, you are not responsible, are you? Since you are not the one breaking the law. If so, how about let's just go on and hit whoever opening the door (of course, in low speed for your own sake) ;)

Technically, my driveway is available to moving traffic. The fact that traffic moving there would be just as moronic as this idiot passing in the gutter pan means that no reasonable person would be expected to check there.

Your driveway is private property - the highway traffic act does not apply. Lots of cyclists are doored and hit in mall parking lots, i'm pretty sure it is a private matter unless covered under criminal code.

The lesson here is signal properly, pull over completely to the curb and you won't have to go around calling other people idiots when your passenger opens the door in their face.

This was clearly the cyclists fault. The car pulled over to the right to let out a passenger. There is no way for the driver to really know if they are one foot from the curb or 1 inch. The cyclist should not be passing on the right, let alone at those speeds.


Watch it again for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ9eaXJhl8Q

"Clearly the cyclists fault" - yikes. Good thing you're not involved in interpreting the law to any meaningful extent.

The car was at least two feet from the curb and had no signals on. If the driver pulled a u-turn I bet you'd tell us it was the cyclists fault for passing on the left also.

The len's barrel effect distorts the distances, so carefully look at the distances. The cyclist also says he had no time to brake... this almost looks like a right-hook dooring.

edit: I should add hindsight is 20/20. So it's really easy to say that is wrong... but the fact is if you're hauling the mail there is about one second to decide if the guy is going to u-turn or pull over and stop - otherwise you're going in through the rear-window.

If, in order not to veer into a coming car on your left, you keep going straight when seeing a car door opening and someone getting off that car, and end up hitting that person, you are not responsible, are you? Since you are not the one breaking the law. If so, how about let's just go on and hit whoever opening the door (of course, in low speed for your own sake) ;)

This happened to me the only time I was doored and made contact.
I was on a major road with 35mph traffic and a fool opened his door without looking and I aimed at the inside of the door. I hit his hand pretty hard and he said I broke his hand. I just checked my front wheel and told him too bad and look next time you open a door. After that I don't ride in the door zone unless it is unavoidable.

I've seen cars door other cars, too.

The effect just isn't the same as with a cyclist, though....

Saw that one in 1999 when I was in school. It was kind of hilarious. The dumbass driver that did the dooring (and had their door ripped off) called the cops. The look on his face was priceless when he was handed a ticket for failing to check that it was clear before opening his door.

I hit his hand pretty hard and he said I broke his hand. I just checked my front wheel and told him too bad and look next time you open a door.

However serious his injury was, it's better than you being hit by a car, which could likely be fatal.


The look on his face was priceless when he was handed a ticket for failing to check that it was clear before opening his door.

:thumb:

I've seen cars door other cars, too.

The effect just isn't the same as with a cyclist, though....

I got doored driving my 1966 bug (it was 1979, so the car was a major beater at the time)

Dented my front fender.

Totally jacked up the guys brand new 280Z.

Two of the most fragile vehicles on the road at the time. I would have expected them both to simply disintegrate into a pile of flimsy steel and odd-sized fasteners!

Mind you this is coming from a man who's owned 4 Zs and 3 Bugs.

"Clearly the cyclists fault" - yikes. Good thing you're not involved in interpreting the law to any meaningful extent.

The car was at least two feet from the curb and had no signals on. If the driver pulled a u-turn I bet you'd tell us it was the cyclists fault for passing on the left also.


If there was less than three feet between the car and curb, the cyclist must have passed at less than safe and legal distance. Here in NC, the absolute minimum legal passing distance is 2 feet between vehicle sides.

I remember being absolutely stunned when I first worked on my sister's VW(~1973 -car was a 1970-
THE FAN SHROUD WAS MADE OF CARDBOARD( well, something like cardboard)!!

not cardboard, tarboard (or something like that, cardboard or grey paper impregnated with tar is what it looked like to me), and the cooling air hoses were flimsier than those flexible aluminum clothes dryer vents

:lol:

If there was less than three feet between the car and curb, the cyclist must have passed at less than safe and legal distance. Here in NC, the absolute minimum legal passing distance is 2 feet between vehicle sides.

Strange law - how would that be determined in a court... about this cyclist it is hard to say, clearly a grey zone with regard to your law in NC. He certainly fit! I think the motorist could do a better job of pulling over and signalling their intentions... I really can't find fault here, other than two drivers making mistakes.

Personally, i like to think that i would have stopped(annoying) and cursed the driver for not using his signals. Doorings are like this though, somebody is always going to tell you that you should have been 1 meter or over there... well no ****. Lets not confuse failure to defensively cycle with "asking for it"

If, in order not to veer into a coming car on your left, you keep going straight when seeing a car door opening and someone getting off that car, and end up hitting that person, you are not responsible, are you?

I'm trying to picture this. Seems like the car would have to be parked somewhere it shouldn't be, for this to happen? If you have to swerve into oncoming traffic or hit the door, you're in an incredibly narrow space, and it implies that the car parked in the only lane going your way? Or perhaps that the oncoming car shouldn't be passing?

I've never been doored, never had a close call. But that relates more to where I ride. I'm in the San Fernando Valley. Suburbia. And I'm a recreational rider. That means I pretty much avoid places where there a re lots of cars parked. The occasional car that you have a view of for 1/4 mile while coming up presents much less risk.

That is not to say I never ride where there are lots of cars parked, it occasionally happens, but since it is rare and I am experienced I end up in cautious mode. (I'm NOT at all criticising those who have to ride in areas with lots of parked cars who eventually get accustomed to it, I'm just pointing out my good fortune to do it rarely enough that I never get used to too many parked cars).

The closest I can recall coming was on a ride that went up to Ventura, on a slight downhill almost at the beach a guy in a pickup opened his door actually well in front of me, btu I was not sure the the others behind me had seen it so I shouted 'DOOR!'. Did I mention I can be loud? He jumped back in his truch and closed the door behind him.

randya- yeah, it looked just like that-stiff cardboard or paper impregnated with black "stuff".
I absolutely couldn't believe it-cardboard in the engine bay.

I drove one a year ago-a 1956- HORRIBLE BRAKES EVEN WORSE STEERING. Of course USA cars of that vintage were no prizes either.

Strange law - how would that be determined in a court... about this cyclist it is hard to say, clearly a grey zone with regard to your law in NC. He certainly fit! I think the motorist could do a better job of pulling over and signalling their intentions... I really can't find fault here, other than two drivers making mistakes.

Personally, i like to think that i would have stopped(annoying) and cursed the driver for not using his signals. Doorings are like this though, somebody is always going to tell you that you should have been 1 meter or over there... well no ****. Lets not confuse failure to defensively cycle with "asking for it"

There is also a no passing on the right law and for good reason. Cyclists are defined as a vehicle and you need a minimum passing distance. There is no law requiring him to signal properly to turn right. There is a law for them to look before opening the door but only into a traffic lane which that was not. As far as I can tell, the cyclist broke the law while the driver did not. Although, I do agree that the fisheye lens distorts the size of things so I thought the gap was smaller than it was. Still, its too small.

I also wonder about liability. Since the driver was not the one who opened the door, the passenger was, who is responsible? The driver is presumably the only one trained to operate the vehicle so if a passenger without a license were to open a door into traffic would the driver be responsible?

There is also a no passing on the right law and for good reason. Cyclists are defined as a vehicle and you need a minimum passing distance. There is no law requiring him to signal properly to turn right. There is a law for them to look before opening the door but only into a traffic lane which that was not. As far as I can tell, the cyclist broke the law while the driver did not. Although, I do agree that the fisheye lens distorts the size of things so I thought the gap was smaller than it was. Still, its too small.

I also wonder about liability. Since the driver was not the one who opened the door, the passenger was, who is responsible? The driver is presumably the only one trained to operate the vehicle so if a passenger without a license were to open a door into traffic would the driver be responsible?

No passing on the right huh... haha.

I think the passenger gets the ticket.

I'm trying to picture this. Seems like the car would have to be parked somewhere it shouldn't be, for this to happen? If you have to swerve into oncoming traffic or hit the door, you're in an incredibly narrow space, and it implies that the car parked in the only lane going your way? Or perhaps that the oncoming car shouldn't be passing?

It could be that it's a truck with wide body. It happened to me many times (not being doored, but having to move to the left lane).

Your driveway is private property - the highway traffic act does not apply. Lots of cyclists are doored and hit in mall parking lots, i'm pretty sure it is a private matter unless covered under criminal code.

The lesson here is signal properly, pull over completely to the curb and you won't have to go around calling other people idiots when your passenger opens the door in their face.

I am not sure whether it applies to the portion of the driveway that is part of the road allowance.

No passing on the right huh... haha.

I think the passenger gets the ticket.

I don't know about Toronto, but here in North Carolina, it's against state law to pass on the right unless in a separate lane from the vehicle being passed. It's legal to pass on the left in the same lane, except when passing a motorcycle with another motor vehicle.

Here in NC it's also against state law for the driver of any vehicle to pass any vehicle at less than two feet. The left side of the cyclist was less than two feet from the car when the door opened.

If a motorist were to overtake to the right of a cyclist by less than two feet in the same lane (e.g. to turn right), and the cyclist wobbled by less than two feet, and a collision occurred, everybody here would blame the motorist.