Reading the Road - The Door Zone

Watch this video about the door zone - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TQ7aID1jHs

It's important to keep our selves safe on the roads and one of the biggest problems in towns and cities is parked cars. Cycle too close to them and you may end up with a door right in front of you as someone hasn't checked their mirrors before opening it.
This isn't such a problem if you are in a car, it won't do much damage. But on your bicycle it can kill or seriously injure you!

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Contourhd
• helmet
• cam
• camera
• roam
• contour
• door
• zone
• dangerous
• keep
• out
• cycle
• lane
• madness

[SkrzypczykBass]

I'll have to see if I can dig it out but I saw a bloody scary clip of someone being doored (was it on SC?) where the rider was literally thrown sideways! Thankfully the car following (with the cam in) managed to avoid running them over.

BTW did you forget about the danger of cars that are being driven opening their doors as that Russian sounding guy in one of your past clips mentioned ;-)

[CycleGaz]

@SkrzypczykBass Last episode of SC at number 1. haha to your second point

[CyclingMikey]

Gaz, I reckon you were still in the door zone there. If the timing had been a bit more split second, and the door opened completely, you would've been a goner. Plus, riding slightly on or left of the dashed cycle lane line means you'll get lane effect from the passing cars. That'll make them come closer than they would if you were just a foot further to the right and definitely in "their" lane.

[CycleGaz]

@CyclingMikey You are probably right. I knew this guy was going to open his door so by that point I had moved out, I knew because he had his side lights on and then turned them off, big give away. The problem I have on this road is if I go out of the door zone then I will definitely get close passes, If i take control of the lane then I will annoy drivers as this runs for several miles. What to do? :(

[kpocius]

I'm a cyclists and I do cycle in the door zone because from my perspective, if we use the door zone excuse to cycle in the middle of the road, so should the cars - door zone applies to them too, doesn't it? What do we end up with? A situation where we need 3 lane motorways in central London. That kind of space is just not available. Or am I getting something wrong here? Please educate me :-)

[CycleGaz]

@kpocius If you are in your car and you hit an open door then it is unlikely to damage you at all. But when on a bicycle you, if you hit that car door, it's going to hurt. If you swerve around it and you get hit by a close passing car, it's going to hurt.

Not only that, but a driver is much more likely to look out for a car than they are a bicycle, a car will damage their door, whilst it is only a bicycle so they don't really care or don't see.

[TheVexatiousLitigant]

A very important point you missed there gaz. If you are in the door zone and forced to ride into an open door try not to hit the edge which will send you into the traffic, it is much better to aim further left and if possible aim for something soft, like the driver, it will still hurt, but a bit less, and you will have the added bonus of stopping the driver from leaving the scene! :-)

[kpocius]

@CycleGaz as much as I do understand that logic, I still can't make myself cycle in the middle of the road without feeling like a douche. But I'll try. To avoid the door zone, that is, not to be a douche :)

[CyclingMikey]

@CycleGaz I think a several of us might do something like write open letters to Croydon Council, describing this cycle lane design as negligent, and why, and showing how it doesn't meet cycle infrastructure design standards. We could suggest that if they don't fix it, and they've been publically notified, anyone who does get doored might do well to now sue Croydon Council and the driver jointly for their injuries. Personal injury claims are unlikely to come cheap for them. ;)

[strippzy]

@kpocius If you really do cycle in the door zone then I wish you luck. Sharing the road is the answer, but not at the expense of the health of the road user. A friend of mine was taken out by a passenger getting out of a car waiting at the lights. It cost him his spleen and his liver was split in two. Don't even think the car got a scratch, Luckily!!!!!!!

[strippzy]

good video. I NEVER ride in the door zone. I can't think of a worse part of a car to hit or a less avoidable accident with virtually no warning. Luckily my commute, (when the snow disappears!) doesn't involve a lot of roads with parked vehicles, but still...

Keep up the fantastic driver education, mate.

[t1sutton]

@kpocius To keep it simple - with a car, the damage is to your & their car. With a cyclist, the damage is to you, your body - including death.

Pretty simple. :)

[MrGrumpycyclist]

@kpocius I don't know what kind of crap cut-priced driving lessons you had, but when I learned to drive, the first rule for passing parked cars was "leave one car door's width between your car and the parked cars". If you are a typical driver, then it's no wonder we have problems.

[CyclingMikey]

@growingvegetable The Vex made a good point, didn't he?