Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Advocacy & Safety
Reload this Page >

Bike lanes and getting "door'd"

Notices
Advocacy & Safety Cyclists should expect and demand safe accommodation on every public road, just as do all other users. Discuss your bicycle advocacy and safety concerns here.

Bike lanes and getting "door'd"

Old 03-03-18, 08:30 PM
  #1  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Bike lanes and getting "door'd"

I rarely use them because they aren't in my usual direction of going somewhere but when I do the bike lanes give me little space between cars traveling and parked cars which make me nervous if one of these parked cars would throw their door open on me. Anyway, just curious if this has happened to anyone. I try my best to look but many cars have factory tinted windows dark to the point its hard to see whats going on in the car.
kap 7 is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 08:58 PM
  #2  
Daniel4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,497

Bikes: Sekine 1979 ten speed racer

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1477 Post(s)
Liked 637 Times in 436 Posts
Regardless if I'm in a bike lane or a regular traffic lane when there are no bike lanes, I keep clear of the door zone and my finger on my horn.

Some bike lanes in Toronto are between the sidewalk and parked cars with bollards or planters as additional barriers. So dooring from the passenger side is much less of an occurrence - but it's still a risk.
Daniel4 is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 09:38 PM
  #3  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by Daniel4
Regardless if I'm in a bike lane or a regular traffic lane when there are no bike lanes, I keep clear of the door zone and my finger on my horn.

Some bike lanes in Toronto are between the sidewalk and parked cars with bollards or planters as additional barriers. So dooring from the passenger side is much less of an occurrence - but it's still a risk.
Sounds like Canada has my idea in mind but they don't put any barriers around here.
kap 7 is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 09:42 PM
  #4  
B. Carfree
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Posts: 7,048
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 509 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 9 Times in 8 Posts
I simply refuse to ride in the door zone. My state is a mandatory use state, which means that cyclists have to use bike lanes if they are present. However, one of the reasons one is allowed to not ride in the bike lane is if there is a hazardous condition. Door zones are a fairly obvious hazardous condition, so I don't ride in door-zone bike lanes. Over the many decades and hundreds of thousands of miles I have ridden, hundreds of doors have swung open as I passed them. If I had made a habit of riding within range, some of them would have certainly rung me up.

Admittedly, this does annoy some motorists. I figure that if someone is strung so tightly that they would out and out murder me for riding in a travel lane next to a DZBL, they are almost as likely to run me down no matter where I ride; they simply not sane.

I did have an interesting encounter with a motorist a few years ago over this issue. He honked his horn as I took the lane next to a DZBL. When I finally cleared all the parked cars, I happily moved over to the bike lane. He pulled alongside me and rolled down his window to ask what I was doing. I explained the door zone issue to him. He nodded agreement, thanked me and drove on. His young son was sitting in the passenger seat, so I was glad that when he honked I didn't make any rude gestures.
B. Carfree is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 09:43 PM
  #5  
Kontact
Senior Member
 
Kontact's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,824
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4260 Post(s)
Liked 1,456 Times in 949 Posts
Most bike lanes around here are wide enough to allow you to stay clear of doors if you ride to one side of the lane.
Kontact is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 09:55 PM
  #6  
GailT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 208
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 107 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 21 Times in 13 Posts
I got doored in 1987, commuting to work in San Francisco, going down the Hayes St. hill at high speed. I was not even very close to the parked cars - a guy in a pick-up truck with a long door threw it open and clipped the side of bike just as I was passing by. (Pretty sure it was unintentional.) I went flying down the hill, fractured wrist and some scrapes, amazing it was not worse. My Schwinn Continental was fine and I was able to ride in to work. It was great being young and invincible. Anyway, I think you are right to be worried about parked cars. If you cannot avoid the door zone (which can be larger than you might expect), it's probably best to ride slowly near parked cars.
GailT is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 10:52 PM
  #7  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by Kontact
Most bike lanes around here are wide enough to allow you to stay clear of doors if you ride to one side of the lane.
I'm lucky in that when i do most long distance riding i have wide bike trails.
kap 7 is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 10:56 PM
  #8  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by GailT
I got doored in 1987, commuting to work in San Francisco, going down the Hayes St. hill at high speed. I was not even very close to the parked cars - a guy in a pick-up truck with a long door threw it open and clipped the side of bike just as I was passing by. (Pretty sure it was unintentional.) I went flying down the hill, fractured wrist and some scrapes, amazing it was not worse. My Schwinn Continental was fine and I was able to ride in to work. It was great being young and invincible. Anyway, I think you are right to be worried about parked cars. If you cannot avoid the door zone (which can be larger than you might expect), it's probably best to ride slowly near parked cars.
hope ur wrist got better!
kap 7 is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 11:08 PM
  #9  
FBinNY 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,544

Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter

Mentioned: 139 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5703 Post(s)
Liked 2,428 Times in 1,343 Posts
Looking for drivers to anticipate them opening doors is difficult and unreliable. However, folks opening doors isn't a random thing whereby they sit around then open the door at random.

So a helpful technique is to keep a weather eye well ahead down the road for cars parking. Those newly parked cars are the ones that will have a driver or passenger exiting momentarily. Of course, this isn't bulletproof, since someone may park, and sit around getting stuff together before exiting. However, it's another tool which can be helpful in predicting open doors before they open.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site

An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.

Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.

“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN

WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FBinNY is offline  
Old 03-03-18, 11:35 PM
  #10  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by FBinNY
Looking for drivers to anticipate them opening doors is difficult and unreliable. However, folks opening doors isn't a random thing whereby they sit around then open the door at random.

So a helpful technique is to keep a weather eye well ahead down the road for cars parking. Those newly parked cars are the ones that will have a driver or passenger exiting momentarily. Of course, this isn't bulletproof, since someone may park, and sit around getting stuff together before exiting. However, it's another tool which can be helpful in predicting open doors before they open.

yes, common sense i use
kap 7 is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 12:25 AM
  #11  
jimincalif
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Meridian, ID
Posts: 2,331

Bikes: '96 Trek 850, '08 Specialized Roubaix Comp, '18 Niner RLT RDO

Mentioned: 56 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 569 Post(s)
Liked 123 Times in 83 Posts
Originally Posted by B. Carfree
I simply refuse to ride in the door zone.
Yes. Me too.
jimincalif is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 02:27 AM
  #12  
Kontact
Senior Member
 
Kontact's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,824
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4260 Post(s)
Liked 1,456 Times in 949 Posts
The closest I've come to being doored are passengers getting out on the right from cars in line at an intersection, FYI.
Kontact is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 05:02 AM
  #13  
Jim from Boston
Senior Member
 
Jim from Boston's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times in 171 Posts
Originally Posted by Kontact
The closest I've come to being doored are passengers getting out on the right from cars in line at an intersection, FYI.
I live by the aphorism, "Like a weapon, assume every stopped car is loaded, with an occupant ready to exit from either side."
Jim from Boston is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 05:47 AM
  #14  
Cyclist0084
Senior Member
 
Cyclist0084's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,811
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 184 Post(s)
Liked 353 Times in 90 Posts
Originally Posted by FBinNY
Looking for drivers to anticipate them opening doors is difficult and unreliable. However, folks opening doors isn't a random thing whereby they sit around then open the door at random.

So a helpful technique is to keep a weather eye well ahead down the road for cars parking. Those newly parked cars are the ones that will have a driver or passenger exiting momentarily. Of course, this isn't bulletproof, since someone may park, and sit around getting stuff together before exiting. However, it's another tool which can be helpful in predicting open doors before they open.
Or they may have sat there a few minutes finishing up a phone call. That's what happened on my one close call with a door.




Cyclist0084 is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 06:30 AM
  #15  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by B. Carfree
I simply refuse to ride in the door zone. My state is a mandatory use state, which means that cyclists have to use bike lanes if they are present. However, one of the reasons one is allowed to not ride in the bike lane is if there is a hazardous condition. Door zones are a fairly obvious hazardous condition, so I don't ride in door-zone bike lanes. Over the many decades and hundreds of thousands of miles I have ridden, hundreds of doors have swung open as I passed them. If I had made a habit of riding within range, some of them would have certainly rung me up.

Admittedly, this does annoy some motorists. I figure that if someone is strung so tightly that they would out and out murder me for riding in a travel lane next to a DZBL, they are almost as likely to run me down no matter where I ride; they simply not sane.

I did have an interesting encounter with a motorist a few years ago over this issue. He honked his horn as I took the lane next to a DZBL. When I finally cleared all the parked cars, I happily moved over to the bike lane. He pulled alongside me and rolled down his window to ask what I was doing. I explained the door zone issue to him. He nodded agreement, thanked me and drove on. His young son was sitting in the passenger seat, so I was glad that when he honked I didn't make any rude gestures.
Interesting post... i've always considered myself a pretty safe driver in a car (and prob everyone does) but after cycling for many years i've kind of come to a new understanding of what to look out for - wish the motorists had the same insight
kap 7 is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 06:36 AM
  #16  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by Kontact
The closest I've come to being doored are passengers getting out on the right from cars in line at an intersection, FYI.
wow! that would really piss me off
kap 7 is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 07:12 AM
  #17  
Daniel4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,497

Bikes: Sekine 1979 ten speed racer

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1477 Post(s)
Liked 637 Times in 436 Posts
The past summer, I was in Portland and Salem, Oregon for the solar eclipse. I was studying the public transit system and the bike lanes.

Even though Portland has a reputation of being the most bike-friendly city in North America, the bike lanes didn't look that impressive.

Then it occurred to me. In Salem, I noticed car parking was angled, not parallel. This eliminated dooring of cyclists. Not only that, when drivers pull out, they have no other choice but to look carefully as they proceed.
Daniel4 is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 07:32 AM
  #18  
GrainBrain
Senior Member
 
GrainBrain's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Central Io-way
Posts: 2,655

Bikes: LeMond Zurich, Giant Talon 29er

Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1218 Post(s)
Liked 609 Times in 458 Posts
I try to look into the vehicle's side mirror to catch a glimpse of someone in the driver's seat.
GrainBrain is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 08:21 AM
  #19  
BobbyG
Senior Member
 
BobbyG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 5,959

Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V

Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1359 Post(s)
Liked 1,658 Times in 822 Posts
Originally Posted by kap 7
I rarely use them because they aren't in my usual direction of going somewhere but when I do the bike lanes give me little space between cars traveling and parked cars which make me nervous if one of these parked cars would throw their door open on me. Anyway, just curious if this has happened to anyone. I try my best to look but many cars have factory tinted windows dark to the point its hard to see whats going on in the car.
I am lucky that on the few lengths of street of my commute routes, where I must ride in the door zone, the sight lines go for blocks and it is easy to see in advance if a car has just pulled in, making an opening door a possibility, and also seeing if people have entered a car, making a "pull-out" more imminent.

Originally Posted by Daniel4
Regardless if I'm in a bike lane or a regular traffic lane when there are no bike lanes, I keep clear of the door zone and my finger on my horn.
That's what I do. And when I do honk, it's usually effective...but not always. (AirZound Airhorn)
Originally Posted by IndianaRecRider
Or they may have sat there a few minutes finishing up a phone call. That's what happened on my one close call with a door.
That happened to me a few years ago on a long, slow uphill I had the van in my site for at least 2 minutes. A car came up behind me, just as a car came from the opposite direction which forced me a little closer to the line of parked cars than I like. When I came up even with the rear tire, the driver door opened. Luckily I was going only 3-4 mph as it was a steep, uphill. The driver, a 30-something mom on her way into the church across the street, was more upset over not looking than I was.
BobbyG is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 10:32 AM
  #20  
caloso
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
Stay out of the door zone. If that happens to put you in the bike lane, fine. If not, also fine.
caloso is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 03:45 PM
  #21  
CB HI
Cycle Year Round
 
CB HI's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posts: 13,644
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1316 Post(s)
Liked 92 Times in 59 Posts
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...bicycle+doored

__________________
Land of the Free, Because of the Brave.
CB HI is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 04:10 PM
  #22  
Kontact
Senior Member
 
Kontact's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,824
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4260 Post(s)
Liked 1,456 Times in 949 Posts
That stressed me out.
Kontact is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 04:32 PM
  #23  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18319 Post(s)
Liked 4,487 Times in 3,337 Posts
I have never felt I was ever close to being doored. Either lucky, or perhaps taking actions to minimize it. I am, however, very aware of the potential issues.

I divide bike paths into two categories:
Residential neighborhoods: Cars enter and exit from parking areas infrequently. Often quite a bit of space between parked cars.

Business districts: Cars in and out frequently.
Also, not all vehicles are the same. So, delivery vehicles often have someone getting in or out. Even if they have a sliding door, give them some space.

Anyway, in the residential neighborhoods, I believe that one can pay attention to people around cars, perhaps people in cars, and cars parking, or other signs of activity that can give a good estimate of when something is going to happen. I am often riding in the parking lane, then look back, signal, and move over into the bike lane when I approach a parked car... and thus am also aware of traffic around me during potential conflict times.

In a business district, one has to be just that much more aware of one's surroundings. Although there are few bike lanes in door zone commercial areas where I ride.

One commercial area that I'm frequently riding through, the bike lane ends at the beginning of the commercial area. I still ride to the right a bit, but can often keep up with traffic. However, without the protected bike lane, car occupants are more likely to check before flinging their door open into the middle of traffic.

During parades, or event parking, I assume someone is going to do something stupid, and give all the cars a wide berth. People shouldn't be driving very fast during those times anyway.
CliffordK is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 04:38 PM
  #24  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
i'm not sure who mods these forums but the above video while probably appropriate to the topic might be noted in the title as not safe for work/kids etc (use of cuss words/violence)
kap 7 is offline  
Old 03-04-18, 04:50 PM
  #25  
kap 7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Posts: 108

Bikes: 2007 Specialized Hardrock XC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 7 Posts
that is some scary stuff in video above
kap 7 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.