Vehicles and bikes occupy the same roadways throughout Oregon and particularly in cities like Portland. When individuals follow the rules of the road and take precautions to keep themselves and others safe, accidents between bike accidents can often be avoided. Although there are many ways that vehicle-bike collisions can happen, one manner is particularly common and very dangerous. That manner is dooring, and this post will explain just what it is.
Dooring happens when a bike rider is hurt by a car door. This often happens when a bicyclist is passing a parked car and the vehicle’s driver opens their door into the path of the bicyclist. Even though the vehicle is not moving, the bike rider may suffer serious injuries or even death when they collide with the door of the parked car.
Many dooring accidents happen because drivers simply fail to check for bicyclists before opening their doors. Many bike safety advocates suggest that drivers adopt the practice of the “Dutch Reach” to limit chances of harming cyclists in dooring incidents; the Dutch Reach involves a driver using their inside or right hand to open their door, so they have to pivot and look over their left shoulder before exiting their vehicle.
Slowing down, eliminating distractions, and using the Dutch Reach may all be ways to avoid dooring accidents. Often, a cyclist is too close to a door to safely maneuver around it, so it is, therefore, the responsibility of drivers to avoid these types of accidents. More information about dooring and victims’ rights may be sought from Portland-based personal injury attorneys.
