Bicyclists already have more than enough to worry about without adding parked cars to the list. But unfortunately, dooring makes these immobile vehicles a danger, too.
What exactly is dooring? Why is it so harmful to bicyclists?
How does dooring happen?
Bicycling discusses the dangers of dooring. Dooring occurs when a parked vehicle on the side of a road opens its door into the path of a cyclist without looking to see if the coast is clear first.
This is an especially major issue in crowded cities and can occur in any location where a car’s door might open into the path of a cyclist. This is perhaps more common than one might expect due to the fact that many roadside cyclist paths go directly next to the area on a street, which allows for cars to park.
Why is it a problem?
Dooring may not seem like a huge issue at first because the car in question is not in motion. However, it is actually a major problem because it forces a moving object (the biker) to come to a sudden, abrupt halt by hitting the door.
Not only can this cause impact injuries from hitting the door itself, but it can cause injuries like whiplash or brain damage due to the sudden and abrupt stop.
On top of that, some cyclists end up launched over the handlebars or spill off their bikes and into traffic. This can cause them to get hit by moving vehicles in the street, further increasing the risk of serious injury.
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