CliffordK

OUCH!!!

That appears to be globally captured clips with some driving/riding to the right, and some to the left.

Several people being doored by taxis. It would seem like one would give wide berth to the bright yellow cars (unless that is all of the cars in NYC). This may be an issue in the future with Uber and unmarked ride-share vehicles. And, perhaps a reason to require them to install some kind of visible TAXI markings.

A good number of the people were riding between stopped cars and the curb, even between Taxis and the curb... sounds like a dangerous place to be. Likewise, doing close passes of double-parked cars.

Unfortunately a few bike-lane accidents would have been hard to predict.

twinsies

I'd say in my urban commute I'm riding in a situation for potentially getting doored only 5% of the time at most. My methods are all of the above but I also go slower than I would without cars there so I have at least some additional time to react.

Cyclist0084

That was painful to watch (no pun intended).

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel4

Regardless if I'm in a bike lane or a regular traffic lane when there are no bike lanes, I keep clear of the door zone and my finger on my horn.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobbyG

…That's what I do. And when I do honk, it's usually effective...but not always. (AirZound Airhorn)

I don’t carry an Air Zound because I’m not sure I could react quickly enough in a sudden event like a door opening. I have posted about my instantaneous reaction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I frequently post this basic rule for me, ”Consider every stopped car like a weapon, loaded, with an occupant ready to exit, on either side." For example I think about that when filtering between cars stopped at a traffic light.

When I have had doors opened directly before me, I have found a scream causes the person to immediately retract back into the car like a turtle into its shell.

For a real vicarious thrill of dooring, see this video.

kap 7

StarBiker

Cycling between those two stopped cars was stupid!

It's equally dumb not to look in your side mirror when parallel parked before exciting your vehicle. That includes when you are parked so you get out on the sidewalk. Who knows what's coming.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I don’t carry an Air Zound because I’m not sure I could react quickly enough in a sudden event like a door opening. I have posted about my instantaneous reaction. .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I frequently post this basic rulefor me, ”Consider every stopped car like a weapon, loaded, with an occupantready to exit, on either side." For example I think about that when filtering between cars stopped at a traffic light.

When I have had doors opened directly before me, I have found a scream causes the person to immediately retract back into the car like a turtle into its shell.

For a real vicarious thrill of dooring, see this video.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kap7

I presume this response is to the graphic video. Regarding reaction to an opening door, it seems to me that the immediate response is to take evasive action. I would think that having to locate the button for an Air Zound would be a cumbersome step in that situation.

I think Air Zounds are more useful for retaliation, especially when a shout (or expletive ) might be unintelligible in traffic.

Milton Keynes

I don't even think a horn would save the day, because the person getting out of the car would likely stop & look, but not close the door.

Ninety5rpm

There are two kinds of cyclists.

1. The ones who figure out not to even try to anticipate if someone is occupying every parked car they approach and, instead, just never ride closer than five feet to parked cars.
2. The ones who ride in door zones trying to look ahead and anticipate, until they're doored.

15 mph is 22 feet per second. That's 1 1/2 car lengths per second. Are you Superman?

And what are you going to do if someone IS in the car, suddenly swerve left in front of overtaking traffic?

RIDE AT LEAST FIVE FEET FROM PARKED CARS.

Period.

mr_bill

RIDE AT LEAST FIVE FEET FROM CARS.
Period.


BTW, what's MAGIC about FIVE FEET. Why not SIX FEET? TWO METERS? More?

-mr. bill

GrainBrain

Sounds like I might turn into one if someone swings open the door!

I do appreciate the passionate responses of those that have relevant safety experience

Ninety5rpm

The biggest doors open up to 3.5 feet from the car. If you're tracking five feet from the parked cars, your elbow is about four feet from the parked cars, leaving only six inches of room for error (assuming the largest door, more for most doors), but it's better than nothing. That's why I say at least five feet. Six feet is even better. But if you're releasing faster traffic behind you, it's best to not track closer than five from the parked cars, if you really have to get even that close.

I see no need to ALWAYS keep five feet from cars stopped in front of me (like at a red light), or ALWAYS five feet from moving cars on my left or right, though that's a nice buffer in those situations too.

mr_bill

So, typical bicycle handlebars are 18" wide, but SOME are 24" wide. Typical FULLY OPEN doors extend 36", but SOME are extend 45" (that's 3 3/4 feet).

So, just double checking if I'm on a bicycle with 18" wide handlebars, and am passing a car doors that extend 36", can I safely pass tracking at 4 1/4 feet?

If you look at the video "above", you'll see LOTS of doorings by people NOT parked.

I don't get why your ALWAYS isn't always?

-mr. bill

kap 7

no offesnse but u seem like ur trying ur best to be a jerk!

caloso

I always try to imagine the widest likely door plus a little buffer.

Ninety5rpm

Sorry. I'm just frustrated with how many cyclists continue to ride in door zones, some believing they can notice and react fast enough, apparently unaware of the peril in doing so, despite all the information out there about it. I'm also frustrated by the apparent reluctance that exists within the cycling community to warn about the hazards of riding in door zones, present thread (mostly) excepted, thankfully. But this is the safety forum. Go to almost any other forum and you'll find cyclists who ride in door zones all the time, and aren't even aware not doing so is a reasonable option that many cyclists employ every day everywhere.

Ninety5rpm

The main message is to avoid parked cars by at least 5 feet. The goal is to be far enough so that if a door suddenly opens, you don't even flinch. Once someone gets this, they should naturally develop similar precautionary practices with respect to stopped vehicles on their left, primary taxis and Ubers from which passengers and unexpected pop out any time they're stopped.

Paul Barnard

Some of those idiots filtering got exactly what they had coming. I do not and will not look in my mirror when I exit the passenger door curbside.

Ninety5rpm

That's a violation of the law in most if not all states.

Paul Barnard

I did a quick google check and here's the first hit.

RCW 46.61.620: Opening and closing vehicle doors.

Based on my cursory examination of laws in the past, it normally doesn't apply unless the door is being opened into a travel lane.

Either way, most of the cyclists in the video were a case study in abject stupidity.

Ninety5rpm

The law you quoted does not square with the findings of your cursory examination.
Nothing about a travel lane, and a travel lane is what is to the left of you anyway when parking at a curb.

mr_bill

Most of the vehicles were NOT parked. Most of the vehicles were NOT taxis or Ubers (or Lyfts).

For what it's worth, five feet is not far enough away to not flinch. And death and destruction do not result at four and a quarter feet.


A simple rigid rule that ALWAYS applies SOMETIMES that doesn't solve the problem. Brilliant.

-mr. bill

Ninety5rpm

I'm not talking about the video which I haven't even watched. Most doorings involved parked cars - that's what I'm talking about.

In my experience five feet is sufficient to not flinch, and most cyclists don't leave but 2 or 3 feet. If you need more, leave more. Of course.

The bottom line is nobody is exactly measuring the distance. The idea is to stay out of the door zone, and "five feet" seems to be a big enough value to cause most people to realize they have to ride further to be out of the door zone in order to be "five feet" from parked cars.

Not sure what your issue is. You seem to have a contentious attitude when you comment.

mr_bill

Try watching the video. Watch and learn. Most doorings do not involve parked cars.

If I need less, do I have *YOUR* permission to leave less?

-mr. bill

Ninety5rpm

So now a video is the basis for statistics?

Anyway, I don't want to get into a semantic argument about what constitutes a car being parked, but most of those cars looked parked to me, at least temporarily. In any case, they certainly qualify as parked cars I would ride at least five feet from. What you do and advise is up to you.

You don't need my permission to do anything, which should go without saying, Mr Argumentative.