Dunno about for you 'tothersiders but in WA car drivers are at fault if they open the door and anyone runs into it.

Thus I guess any cyclist hit could report it as a traffic crash and be covered under the car driver's insurance

Yes but, insurance not much good if your badly I injured or completely foooking dead !

What Sn was told by his driving instructors may be a law or not, but if it is then it is one of those stupid impractical laws we have along with not being able to turn left, after stopping at a red light.

How many bike lanes are 4' away from the parking zone of a road? Not many, if any.
And what of the roads that have no bicycle lane? Are you saying we should stop and wait for the traffic so we can ride in the middle of the road because some stupid with a car door might not look first?

Maybe it's time for a new law? Any time you are interjecting into a new lane or road or about to stop or start whilst driving you are, by law, enforced to indicate what you are about to do.
So we should have another new law now, to leave your car whilst parked on a road, you have to indicate to the road users that you are about to do so, then sit in your car for 30 seconds and plan it safely and then take out a cyclist whilst alighting. Problem solved, you're in the clear and with a good solicitor the cyclist may even pay for your new door!

I have been car doored once. No-one came to my aid or offered to be a witness - but I reckon a few would have if a motorcyclist went down, as it was outside the courtyard to a lively pub.

The driver lived in Katoomba, but worked at Sydney Uni. Reckon if he didn't have such a long commute, he would not have been so rushed to do his errands when parked in Springwood.

Although a large police station was only metres away, the driver bundled me in his car and drove to the local bicycle shop to pay for a new rear wheel, paid on his CC, then thrust all his cash ($75) in my hands and left me. I had a massive painless bruise to my R bicep, and didn't seek medical attention, although I worked then as a nurse...
A friend gave me a lift to work. I spoke to my supervisor and asked if I should get it checked in case of workers comp, in case my condition changed. Was told that as I normally drove, but on this day decided to cycle (actually my car had been written off a few weeks before) it wasn't covered.

As a gesture of forgiveness, a fortnight later I emailed the bloke and suggested we do Narrowneck FT on the MTB's. He replied saying he 'was just thinking of how I was getting on, and had just done the trail on the weekend previously, with some other guys he didn't know either - how funny was that! Chat soon.'
The whole incident has made me reflect a bit;
- on what it means to be a long-term resident of an area; didn't anyone recognise me in a busy street, even at face value? No-one assisted.
- loyalty towards my employer meant little. I was at work on time after a fright.
- how much damage I caused to the front panel when cycling at about 25 km/h. The car door over-extended, then could not be opened again when shut.
The front wheel was OK, the rear of the bike had gone high in the air, then slammed down.
- how fortunate I was not to sustain worse injury.

Am still an occasional cyclist. Recent solo trips include 80km Lithgow - Richmond along Bells Line of Rd, copping abuse 5 or 6 times + 80km N Richmond - Wisemans Ferry & return along many quiet back roads, and some not so.

GalahOnTheBay said...

What sn said + 1

On the one hand, the driver shouldn't open their door unless it is safe to do so - it might get taken off by a car!

On the other hand, if you are riding that close / fast and you cant stop for a door you would not be able to stop for a pedestrian stepping out from between cars either.

Why on earth are bikes forced to ride so close to cars anyway - talk about stupid road designs.

Pedestrians are a bit easier to spot but people opening car doors is a little harder. Somewhere like West Coast Drive in Trigg theres plenty of people parked on the side of the road and the road is narrrow. Do you risk being taken out by a car door? or slow the traffic?
I think the bike path is even more dangerous as there's heaps of kids running around, people walking all over the path with Ipods in, old people half dazed walking around in circles.

Best to just get in the car and drive.

Can't find the link to the story. Anyone?

DunkO said...

how are you going to see a bike coming from behind while opening the door.

a car sure, but a silent bike riding close to the other parked cars doing up to 60 Km/h is not easy to spot.

that said caution should be used.

try looking !

There are far more kooks driving cars than riding bikes. (both in numbers and proportionally)

and as for being 4 foot away from a car i dont think that is in the traffic code, maybe someone should check that.

and also, stop f$#%kin txting or fb'ing while driving and stick to the speed limit, not below , not above it


sorry,rant over

SandS said...

...

What should we do to control this hazard ? ...

Not sure if you regard the car door a hazard to cyclists, or cyclists a hazard to people opening car doors but eitherway what we could do is :

Only exit your car via the sun roof
Drive on the wrong side of the road, so the cyclist glances off the slippery obtusely angled outside of your door rather than the acutely angled inside of your door
Put bull bars on all bicycles
Bolt a 10 foot wide lump of 6x3 to your bumper so cyclist have to go along way out and around your car, then they won't hit the door
Get a stronger door so when they bounce off there is no damage
GET A JOB, BUY A CAR, THROW YOUR BICYCLE IN THE BIN

youngbull said...
"dusta" your not helping)

??????????????????????????????????????

youngbull said...

There are only 2 types of reply you see on this topic.

The motorist - Forum reply's are gen constructive( "dusta" your not helping) and a clear case it's a road I pay rego and fuel to improve the road infastructure.

The Bicyle riders - alway's feel the need to attack on a reply - try to state laws.
Add no contribution to the roads and expect the same rights as a car.

Register you bike's, get 3rd party insurance. buy your sports drinks at servo's and we will now be on a level playing field to argue.

99% of people I see including myself will always ensure that we do everything possible to aviod - slow down - change lanes (as your 3ft from the curb) to not place the rider in harms way.

A ? for biycle riders is what contribution do you make to the road network to support a need for main road biycle paths. (not a dig or being smart. Just curious)

I cant believe that people ride bikes on main roads during peakhour or any other time when there is a very good bike/foot path provided. I never ride on main roads unless im crossing the road. I dont have a death wish unlike the lycra warrior I saw this morning in the rain in peak hour, what a d!ckhead [}:)]

the gibbo said...

busterwa said...

If your dumb enough to ride on the road when there is a footpath You deserve to get hit.

Dumb **** cyclists think they own the road.
If you play with fire you get burnt.

Have a look at the word "footpath" its for f u kin walking on
My old nieghbour was nearly killed when she walked out of her front gate into the path of a bike, roads are the places for bikes

Only in Perth city are you not permitted to ride bikes on the foot path, outside of the CBD you can do it no probs. But if you want to get hit by a car thats up to you.

youngbull said...

Carantoc said...

youngbull said...



A ? for biycle riders is what contribution do you make to the road network to support a need for main road biycle paths. (not a dig or being smart. Just curious)

Not travelling in a car ?
Not taking up a 3.6m wide lane ?
Not polluting our cities ?
Not creating traffic jams that cost billions in lost production ?
Not killing pedestrians ?
Not requiring vast trances of land to be bituminised so cars can be parked and do nothing for 8 hours ?
(not a complete list, or being sarcastic, just curious the answer isn't bleeding obvious ?)

How is any of that a contribution to the roads. I'm talking $$$ isn't bleeding obvious

You're talking revenue

I'm talking not spending

This is the answer....

SandS said...

If a reg fee was introduced , a solution would be to put the money towards moving the bike lane in between the footpath and the parking lane separated from the cars with a lightweight fence / rail to stop the passengers door banging the cyclist . This would also stop the door from nocking the rider into moving car traffic

As I said in another thread , it's a no brainer!!

The set up in Lygon st Melbourne is crazy . The bikes and cars should be separated as best we can .

doggie said...

SandS said...

This is the answer....

SandS said...

If a reg fee was introduced , a solution would be to put the money towards moving the bike lane in between the footpath and the parking lane separated from the cars with a lightweight fence / rail to stop the passengers door banging the cyclist . This would also stop the door from nocking the rider into moving car traffic

As I said in another thread , it's a no brainer!!

The set up in Lygon st Melbourne is crazy . The bikes and cars should be separated as best we can .

Stop talking to your self

if i do that i will be lonely ! hope you have a good good friday Doggie , its looking like being epic in the morning here !!!

Is it not common sense and the will to survive that you look into each car as you approach, and if you see a person in the drivers side, take caution. For things like trucks etc check their side mirrors to see if you can see a person.

These "secrets" have kept me upright on the treadly.

And also if you don't check before you open your door how do you know that a cyclist on the other side of the road hasn't forced the car to go wide and therefore the vehicle comming up behind to come in close up behind to take your door out.