It rather surprises me from a standpoint that, if I am parked alongside a roadway I always look into my mirror and over my shoulder to see if a car is oncoming before opening a door into said roadway. Perhaps just being on a bike the driver missed seeing you?

I always ride out away from parked cars, into the roadway some. Well, I should say I DID do so. I haven't ridden on the open road outside of a neighborhood area in more than two years now, other that very short stints in the city. I am lucky enough to have some great cart paths and parks nearby that offer much safer places to ride than out on the road. Many of my cycling friends opted to change over to MTB riding after an incident occurred within the group a couple of years back. I wasn't there for that accident/incident but quit road riding due to a one two punch on a (personal) ride with one of the offending parties being a police officer. He was following a car, presumably looking at his computer to know who he was about to pull. That car about hit me and then he about hit me.

People behind the wheel are far too distracted doing things other than riding. Between that and my age related caution I just don't have the "cajones" for it any more.