If you’re riding your bike, one of the things you may be worried about is getting doored. This is a type of motor vehicle accident, even though it happens involving a vehicle that is not in motion. The car that causes the crash will be parked at the time, and the driver will probably have turned the vehicle off entirely.
The problem is that people who have parked their car on the side of the road need to look behind them to check to see that the roadway is open. There are many cases in which bike lanes run right next to parked cars or in which riders may be as close to the edge of the road as they can get. Just because there is not a car coming up on the left does not mean the road is actually open.
If the person in the car does not check to see that the way is clear, they can open their door directly into a person who is riding their bike next to the vehicle. This can cause a high-speed accident and lead to severe injuries for the cyclist. This can also happen with runners, pedestrians, motorcycles or even other cars, but it is most common with bikes.
How should a cyclist react to an open door?
You may think that the cycle should just move out of the way to avoid this open door. The first problem with this theory, though, is that it often happens very quickly. By the time the cyclist even sees that the door is opening, it may be too late for them to avoid the collision.
The second problem is that the cyclist cannot swerve to the right, where the cars are parked. This means they would have to swerve to the left to avoid a collision, but that puts them further into the traffic lanes. Swerving too far could even put them in oncoming traffic, which is much more dangerous.
If you’ve been injured by a negligent driver while you were riding your bike, make sure you know how to seek financial compensation for your medical bills and other costs.