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Dooring is a real risk for cyclists and motorcyclists

Have you ever witnessed someone fling their driver’s side or passenger’s side door open into the roadway? You might have seen another driver have to quickly maneuver to get out of the way or even seen the door ripped off the vehicle by another.

This happens much too often. Some drivers and passengers may forget that there is still moving traffic around them, but that lack of caution could lead to a serious traffic accident with significant or fatal injuries.

Dooring creates a sudden hazard

When someone opens their door into the roadway, there may be little to no time to respond to the action. If the person in the lane is a motorcyclist or cyclist, the door may be firm enough to stop them in their tracks and cause them to be thrown from their vehicle. If the door is higher, it may stop them and cause them to fall to the ground.

In either case, they are hitting the door at speed. Whether it is at 25 mph or 55 mph, there is a serious risk of injuries such as:

  • Broken bones
  • Head injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Lacerations

Dooring puts the people inside the vehicle at risk as well, since there could be debris, sudden movement or a direct impact to a person inside.

What are the main causes of dooring accidents?

Some of the main causes of dooring accidents include:

  • Stopped traffic in one lane, which makes drivers or passengers more likely to get out of their vehicles
  • Speeding, in which someone can’t stop fast enough to avoid a door partially in or completely in a lane
  • Intentional dooring, where a driver or passenger intentionally opens the door into the path of a cyclist or motorcyclist
  • Negligence, where a driver or passenger doesn’t think about the risks before opening a door into traffic

All of these causes can lead to serious or fatal dooring collisions. It’s important for cyclists or motorcyclists, as well as other drivers, to report incidents like this. If you’re hit, you do deserve an opportunity to seek compensation for all you have been through.