jon c. 

If the rider in question thinks they are seriously injured, I do think a whole lot of people are going to be thinking "what's this gonna cost and who's paying?." It's probably what I'd be thinking. Especially if could hear the wail of an ambulance siren. A trip to the ER is not inexpensive.

adablduya

if a cyclist is laying injured on the ground after a collision with a car door, i'm sure a million thoughts are flying thru his head, admittedly. in my opinion, i would imagine the most pressing thought(s) would be along the lines of "i'm in alot of f-ing pain", or "how bad am i hurt ?". if he is wondering what it's going to cost and who is going to pay, those are thoughts he should have been having with himself before he mounted his bike, and certainly before he chose to ride in a door zone (in other words, having insurance). my whole point and opinion was that in the event of that collision with a car door, a cyclist will likely be having more pressing concerns than who is at fault, such as worrying about his own condition and injuries. THAT is the point.

mr_bill

parkbrav

Let's re-direct this conversation away from the liability issues, contentious as they are. The reason I started this thread was not to point fingers or have a witch hunt.

My thought is, how do we educate drivers so that they voluntarily choose safer options that protect cyclists? This was my take away from the NY Times article to which I posted a link.

My point is, cyclists voluntarily do lots to accommodate drivers. Drivers should reciprocate by doing lots to accommodate cyclists. Share the road, and all that.

adablduya

nice re-direct.....
i think this issue is not limited to cyclists; unexpected door openings are a threat to passing motorists, as well. door swings open, BOOM, door is wiped out by passing car. perhaps not the same risks for injury as with cyclists, but we're talking driver behavior with regard to approaching whatever. unless drivers / people embrace a responsible attitude, in general, you can't MAKE them behave a certain way.

KraneXL

Well they're not going to do it because we asked them nicely. There has to be liability involved and punishment must ensue. That means law enforcement must take the first steps toward supporting cyclist safety and enforcing the law. Right now that's not happening.

Cyclist have the same rights and responsibilities as any other vehicle on the road. However, at the movement, the majority of motorists behave as if they're doing cyclist a favor; and they can literally get away with murder. Its not just incumbent only on the cyclist to do all the work to ensure safety, in fact, road safety is a two-way street for all parties involved.

parkbrav

I think the article was proposing some creative new ideas, like making the "Dutch Reach" mandatory in Driver's Ed, and re-designing the driver's side door so that the driver must turn left.

SHBR

Words to live by.

MikeyMK

I can't believe the people in this thread are still focused on the driver.
You're more likely to get doored by a passenger.

Stop riding in the door zone. Unless you wanna get nudged under the wheels on your left by a 6yo girl on your right...