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You might have spotted news stories in recent years which relate to incidents called “car dooring”, but the term might be a little general and doesn’t reflect the seriousness of these incidents.
In this article, we’ll take you through exactly what car dooring is, why it is on the rise and how you can help prevent it.
Car dooring refers to the act of opening your car door into the road while the vehicle is parked, creating a collision with a cyclist. This can be either a passenger or the driver depending on how you’ve parked.
It’s a serious issue with the potential to cause real harm to a cyclist – especially if they’re travelling at speed. While a cyclist might be able to spot a car door opening into their space and swerve, this also cause accidents as there may also be cars in motion on the road.
There is the potential for a larger road traffic accident to occur just by simply opening your car door blindly, with fatalities already recorded. With more people taking to the roads on their bicycles, it’s no wonder that more people are hearing about car dooring.
Worryingly, there have also been incidents where people open their car doors on purpose with the intention of knocking cyclists off their bikes.
The law in England is pretty clear when it comes to car dooring, with the Road Traffic Act 1988 stating that:
‘No person shall open, or cause or permit to be opened, any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger any person.’
However, some in the cycling community feel that this law doesn’t go far enough as while there is a heavy fine involved, it does not involve penalty points or prison. The law appears a little difficult to pin down as it is not always the driver opening their door, and while some people do it on purpose, for some people it is totally accidental.
With this in mind, what can drivers and passengers do to help stop car dooring from happening?
While it might have a slightly bizarre name, the Dutch Reach technique is a simple one and it is designed to prevent car dooring.
Developed in the Netherlands – where cycling is more common – the technique encourages people to use their arm furthest from the door to open with. This means reaching across your body to get to the handle, forcing you to turn as you do so and therefore making you look behind you or into the mirror where you would spot a cyclist.
It’s a pretty simple technique and it could save lives if everyone adopts this practice in England.
Aside from the Dutch Reach technique, you simply need to pay more attention when opening your car door. A careful approach won’t take long and can save you a lot of trouble.
Cyclists themselves have often been told to leave space from parked cars at the side of the road, but this is a controversial position as it can leave cyclists more vulnerable to collisions with moving traffic.
Has your car been involved in an accident which has smashed or cracked a window? At The Windscreen Company, we provide windscreen repairs and replacements to ensure your vehicle is safe to drive, so for more details or to book an appointment with our fully mobile team of specialists, simply contact us today.
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