Chicago Bike Program-Avoiding the Door Zone

Learn to avoid the door zone on your bike by staying at least three feet from parked cars. Even in the bike lane, look out for motorists parking. Getting doored is a drag. Part of the Safe Cycling in Chicago series created by the Chicago Department of Transportation's Bicycle Program. Funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Safe
• Ride
• Chicago
• Bike
• Bicycle
• Door
• Zone
• Car
• Safety
• Crash
• Doored
• Traffice
• Street
• Bike Lane
• Marked Shared Lane

[jamesbondsv]

It's hard to ride outside the door zone when all non-curb side bike lanes, and protected bike lanes, are in the door zone.

[09conrado]

I am 48 now, so that's about 43 years of cycling in Holland, and I don't keep away 3 feet. But I've never crashed into a car door. Could proper road design have anything to do with that? Of course, I admit that in a place where nearly every car driver cycles (93% of the Dutch ride a bicycle from time to time) people are more used to watch out for cyclists, so they look out before opening a door. But design is a large part of the solution. Build it right, and you get a lot more cyclists.

[gcziko]

This video is misleading. Keeping 3 feet away from a car does not keep you out of the door zone. The door on my little Honda Civic hatchback extends 41 inches from the side of the door when opened. You need to stay 5 feet away from parked vehicles to stay out of the door zone. But that can't be said here because that would mean riding outside of most of Chicago's bike lanes which are entirely within the door zone.

[HealingArtsChorus]

Forgot to include this problem in my last comment:

* At 0:30, would that cyclist really not have been startled had the door opening not been obviously staged, and/or the cyclist had been going faster?

[HealingArtsChorus]

Problems continued from last comment:

* The second example, at 0:35, shows the cyclist dangerously swerving out of the bike lane at the last second, undermining the message that 3' is really enough, while never verbally addressing the question of whether leaving the bike like is allowable, and suggesting that swerving suddenly into the traffic lane is acceptable. (In fact, it is the prime way that dooring causes fatalities.)

[HealingArtsChorus]

I have some problems with this video.

* Discussion is placed only in context of using bike lanes, not in general. (Are bike lanes the way Chicago avoids dealing with discriminatory ordinance 9-52-040(c), which implies bicyclists may not impede overtaking traffic, such as to avoid door zones?) * Recommended distance of 3' is inadequate for some doors and especially to avoid startle reaction. * Avoids mentioning the possibility of leaving the bike lane. Is it legal to, per 9-52-40(c)?