Do not ride in the door zone

[casual_cyclist]

Another warning for cyclists to be alert and not ride in the door zone.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews ... 7061529995" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And no, I'm not blaming the victim, it was the driver that committed the offence. I feel bad for the cyclist because it's nasty injury and a very poor thing to happen. I would like everyone to take care out there and be aware that some idiot can fling their door open without looking and you can slam into the door if you are cycling too close to cars.

[bychosis]

And the comments begin...

I got a warning yesterday, after passing two cars with drivers in them when I was riding a bit too close I later passed a car that popped its door in front of me. Luckily I was on a quiet road and riding wide enough. A timely reminder to take your space around parked cars.

[Sweeper59]

How do you avoid riding in the door zone when your local council constructs a shared parking & cycle lane that doesn't comply with required standards?
The ute in the photo is actually parked on top of the painted cycleway signs.
This set-up has been in place on both sides of Lake Road, Port Macquarie for over 10 years, despite many complaints from local cyclists.

[biker jk]

A worthwhile reminder to NEVER ride in the killing zone. The comments confirm my view that our education system is truly broken. Can people really be that dumb after 12 years of education?

[bychosis]

A worthwhile reminder to NEVER ride in the killing zone. The comments confirm my view that our education system is truly broken. Can people really be that dumb after 12 years of education?

12yrs of education? Yes it's out there, but not in your face. Combine that with complacency (haven't seen a door flung open) and being scared into riding in the gutter to get away from the cars and I think there is not enough education on riding safely. There are plenty of motorists out there that think bikes are toys and shouldn't be on the roads at all, let alone riding large.

[silentC]

I think '12 years of education' refers to actual schooling. As in can people who spent 12 years at school really be that dumb. And the answer to that is a resounding 'yes'.

There are plenty of motorists out there that think bikes are toys and shouldn't be on the roads at all, let alone riding large

I would say that this is the prevailing opinion. Those who don't think that way are probably in the minority. I bet if you did a straw poll on any street corner, that is the response you would get.

[yugyug]

How do you avoid riding in the door zone when your local council constructs a shared parking & cycle lane that doesn't comply with required standards?

Adelaide is shocking for this. Check out these two roads near where I live:

https://www.google.com/maps/(AT)-34.913702 ... Q3wIUQ!2e0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.google.com/maps/(AT)-34.908294 ... OPSWEw!2e0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unlike the similar deathdoor zones in Sydney (like Crown St), these legally defined and it is mandatory to ride in them (well, as practicable - i.e not practicable, I don't ride in them - which puts me in confrontation with motorists who think I should).

[reefer]

By the looks of those 2 examples, you would be hard pressed to be hit by a fully open door, those lanes look wide enough. Though I understand where you are coming from.

Not sure what the legislation is down there, but in QLD you MUST always use a bicycle lane where provided, unless it is impracticable to do so.

In areas where dooring is possible, ie a narrow bike lane, I choose to ride out of the bike lane and on the road and will, if ever required, use the defence that it was impracticable to do so. It has not been an issue for me, at least in the 5 years I have been riding up here. Sure I get the odd person open a door on me, but I am always on the far right of the bike lane and have not been unlucky, so far.

[human909]

By the looks of those 2 examples, you would be hard pressed to be hit by a fully open door, those lanes look wide enough. Though I understand where you are coming from.

Doors are wider than you think. A fully open door would not leave enough space for a cyclist riding within the lane. Against my better judgement I find myself riding in lanes like that, though at the very edge of the line. I agree that these are a danger.

[yugyug]

Reefer, Human is correct - they don't leave enough room. If u try to create space, but stay in the lane, u end up riding the line and that puts u at risk of being shaved from behind.

I agree that that it is not, and should not be, an issue to not ride in them by virtue of being impracticable. My concern over these lanes is not for myself, but for other cyclists who may think they legally have to use them.

[twowheels]

A worthwhile reminder to NEVER ride in the killing zone. The comments confirm my view that our education system is truly broken. Can people really be that dumb after 12 years of education?

correction - the second "education" should read "going to school"

[zero]

By the looks of those 2 examples, you would be hard pressed to be hit by a fully open door, those lanes look wide enough. Though I understand where you are coming from.

Not sure what the legislation is down there, but in QLD you MUST always use a bicycle lane where provided, unless it is impracticable to do so.

In areas where dooring is possible, ie a narrow bike lane, I choose to ride out of the bike lane and on the road and will, if ever required, use the defence that it was impracticable to do so. It has not been an issue for me, at least in the 5 years I have been riding up here. Sure I get the odd person open a door on me, but I am always on the far right of the bike lane and have not been unlucky, so far.

They aren't remotely close to wide enough. I'm 65cm wide on a mountain bike, and a car door is up to 1.2m wide. You can see by comparison to the sub 2m wide cars that the bicycle lane there is barely over 1m wide, and even on a track bike that was 40cm wide, I'd still easily get doored.

The important thing to consider is that if you collide with a door, even if its just your handlebar, the same result always happens, you sprawl into the lane alongside you, which is about the most likely way to have an urban cycling fatality - ie the thing that the passing driver wants is impracticably dangerous for the rider if a door is opened. For similar reasons I would not ride on the edge of the cyclelane, since that's asking to be sideswiped. I'd ride fully out of it occupying the proper traffic lane.

Another thing to consider is that the top corner of a car side window or if its an older car the window chrome, is sharp, it is lengthwise to you (making it extremely strong) and it is at head height. its not uncommon to get serious facial or thorax injuries from them, in fact everyone I know that has been doored has wound up with a broken facial bone from that.

[rpmspinman]

Reading those comments is mind numbing. Why do I always fall for it. The same ol crap spun over and over. Rego & license plates. FFS, let me pay the rego, and have the number plate fitted, that way I can rightly avoid being doored but taking the entire lane and force other road users behind to wait or over take with due care.

/end rant

[yugyug]

Reading those comments is mind numbing. Why do I always fall for it. The same ol crap spun over and over. Rego & license plates. FFS, let me pay the rego, and have the number plate fitted, that way I can rightly avoid being doored but taking the entire lane and force other road users behind to wait or over take with due care.

/end rant

Rego would never work and will never happen. You can already rightly take the lane for your safety when needed, just do it.

[rpmspinman]

Reading those comments is mind numbing. Why do I always fall for it. The same ol crap spun over and over. Rego & license plates. FFS, let me pay the rego, and have the number plate fitted, that way I can rightly avoid being doored but taking the entire lane and force other road users behind to wait or over take with due care.

/end rant

Rego would never work and will never happen. You can already rightly take the lane for your safety when needed, just do it.

Yeah cheers, I kind of knew that, I was thinking if it was law, it should hopefully shut the whingers up. But I guess they will find something else to complain about then.

[antigee]

yep made the mistake of reading the comments, though as ever the mind numbing stuff gives some perspective -

some support for the rational that the cyclist was breaking the 1m law ( ) so it was their fault they got doored

no comments about the car owner(?)/mother of the driver pointedly refusing to pay for the damage to the bike

its going to be a long long hill

hope the injuries heal and the strength to put up with sharing the road returns

[yugyug]

some support for the rational that the cyclist was breaking the 1m law ( ) so it was their fault they got doored

I know that's not the correct understanding of the law but in regard to the issue of this thread it may help to calm driver reaction to cyclists claiming the lane, right?

[antigee]

Re: Do not ride in the door zone

Postby yugyug » Thu Sep 18, 2014 11:27 pm

antigee wrote:

some support for the rational that the cyclist was breaking the 1m law ( ) so it was their fault they got doored

I know that's not the correct understanding of the law but in regard to the issue of this thread it may help to calm driver reaction to cyclists claiming the lane, right?

would like to think so too but I'm pretty sure that people with very very important things to do, very very urgently, will come up with some logic I can't possibly expect

[bychosis]

I really hope that most of the comments on these pages are trolls. They way that the comments hit the ground running against cyclists is like the trolls look for cycling stories to stir things up.

[rustychisel]

By the looks of those 2 examples, you would be hard pressed to be hit by a fully open door, those lanes look wide enough. Though I understand where you are coming from.

Doors are wider than you think. A fully open door would not leave enough space for a cyclist riding within the lane. Against my better judgement I find myself riding in lanes like that, though at the very edge of the line. I agree that these are a danger.

Agree, do the same, and don't hesitate to take the lane when I deem it necessary.

As to the original incident, driver opened door and committed an offense. Whether the bike lane is any good for the task assigned is irrelevant.

My partner was car doored a couple of years ago, same sort of lane setup shown by yugyug, but she was doing about 45kmh, just clipped by the outside edge of the door as she tried to avoid collision.

Over a year in surgery, doctors appointments, physio and other therapy, titanium screws for 2 broken bones (finger and hand), some permanent loss of function etc etc not to mention pain and suffering. It's really really not something you want to be part of, even having to watch and help as someone else goes through it.

[Ross]

I'm wondering how this came to be headline news? I'm sure there are similar dooring or SMIDSY incidents everyday in most if not all major cities but we hardly ever hear of them. Not defending the driver in any way or saying the cyclist was at any way to blame. You usually only hear about cycling fatalities in the mainstream media.

Hope the rider recovers soon and comes to an arrangement with the driver for compensation for her damaged bike.

[bychosis]

I'm wondering how this came to be headline news?

V. I. D. E. O.. Seems to be the only way to get cycling stories in the mainstream, get some gruesome footage of a stack.

[outnabike]

I'm wondering how this came to be headline news?

V. I. D. E. O.. Seems to be the only way to get cycling stories in the mainstream, get some gruesome footage of a stack.

I reckon your right, and probably the lady cussing out the cyclist rather than assisting with help. Showing no concern at all. And all on a glorious sound track no doubt.
All brought to us by Cecil B De Cyclist. You really must get the thing on video to have a chance of defending your self.

[il padrone]

How do you avoid riding in the door zone when your local council constructs a shared parking & cycle lane that doesn't comply with required standards?

Adelaide is shocking for this. Check out these two roads near where I live:

In the bike lane, right next to the right line, and you should be fine. You are in the bike lane so other drivers can hardly complain. If you are really concerned that a dooring is still a risk, then ride in the next lane, about 30cm to the right of the line.

I face this conundrum on a stretch of road on my commute but (like your photo) the cars are those of parked commuters, near a rail station. I have hardly ever in the past 4 years when this parking problem has developed, faced a driver opening the door (on my PM ride). It's too early for the drivers arriving from the train, and no-one is ever just parking and exitting the car at that time. Lucky for me. But I still wide fairly wide, enough so that the following vehicles are forced to slow significantly to wait for the right moment to pass me. Despite this I never face any grief from them.

[rpmspinman]

Despite what roads I ride on, the key is to never get complacent and assume everyone out there is looking out for your welfare, because 99% of the time, they are not. I pretty much treat everyone else like an idiot and assume they do not give 2 poo's about anyone else. It's called being defensive. That said, I try not to reciprocate the same poor attitude towards other road users if I can physically avoid it. The last thing I would want on my conscience is injuring someone due to my own incompetence. I will however invest in a go pro for my own protection against others who wilfully lie or claim ignorance to any misdemeanour's.