Joined: 02 Jul 2007Posts: 517Location: the only hill: Beacon
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Fellow Cyclists:
Thought I’d forward this NY Times article on the notorious phenomenon we try to avoid – cars opening doors as we pedal by.
Beryl
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Yesterday in NYC:
The only good news in this is the way the NYPD finally applied the traffic laws about not opening a door into traffic without looking. One hopes this is not the last time they take this seriously.
One local commenter calls the area within the door swing the "Kill Zone."
Steven Faust, AICP - Brooklyn, NY
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NY Times (December 6, 2007):
By AL BAKER
A bicyclist riding northbound on the Avenue of the Americas yesterday
morning died after he struck an open car door, fell off his bicycle
and landed in the street, where he was hit by a truck, the police
said. The cyclist, David Smith, 63, of West Ninth Street, was taken to
Bellevue Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead, the police
said. The accident happened shortly before 8:30 a.m. in front of 989
Avenue of the Americas, near 36th Street, the police said. Mr. Smith,
who was riding in a designated bicycle lane, hit the car’s door after
someone on the passenger side opened it into his path, the police
said. It was unclear if he was wearing a helmet. The police issued two
summonses to the car’s driver, Benjamin Siano, 52, of Staten Island,
for parking at a fire hydrant and for blocking a bicycle lane. They
also issued a summons to his passenger, Augustus Browne, 31, of Staten
Island, for opening a door unsafely into traffic, the police said.
Joined: 28 Jan 2006Posts: 555Location: Wallingford
It's fascinating to see that they listed not knowing if he was wearing a helmet or not before noting that the fuckwit in the car was blocking the bike lane, opening his door ilegaly and in front of a fire hydrant. As if wearing his helmet was going to save a 63 year old man from getting run over by a truck.
WTF?!?
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Stef
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:09 am
Joined: 15 Nov 2007Posts: 121
on my old bag I used to carry a printed out sign that said
"look for bikes" and it showed a cyclist dodging a car with its door open
even though people in front couldnt see, I always thought maybe people would think about it next time they park there car somewhere
Ive had a few friends lucky enough to walk away from being bombarded by a car door and crashing
I could only imagine the pain
joeball
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:32 am
Joined: 24 Jul 2005Posts: 6037Location: Ether
Stanglor wrote:
It's fascinating to see that they listed not knowing if he was wearing a helmet or not before noting that the fuckwit in the car was blocking the bike lane, opening his door ilegaly and in front of a fire hydrant. As if wearing his helmet was going to save a 63 year old man from getting run over by a truck.
WTF?!?
That's par though, helmet use is almost always cited in reporting of collisions involving a bicycle. Same goes for motor vehicle collision reports, they typically site seatbelt use and whether drugs or alcohol were involved or not. Someone with more journalism background explained it on here before.
Regarding when they mentioned the helmet.. I think they just covered all of the details regarding the victim first. Then discussed the offenders.
snyd3282
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 11:40 am
could suck the fun out of a blowjobJoined: 23 Jul 2007Posts: 588Location: Ballard / Fremont
There is a new "watch for bikes" sign on Dexter next to Starbucks.
This, and some conversations with non-cyclists, makes me wonder if the door zone shouldn't have a hashed marking to indicate that people (bikes and cars) need to stay out of that spot.
lantius
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 11:48 am
1337Joined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 6705Location: right over
snyd3282 wrote:
This, and some conversations with non-cyclists, makes me wonder if the door zone shouldn't have a hashed marking to indicate that people (bikes and cars) need to stay out of that spot.
while that'd be great, if we marked off the doorzone with hashmarks, where would the bike lanes go?
Stef
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 11:49 am
Joined: 15 Nov 2007Posts: 121
lantius wrote:
snyd3282 wrote:
This, and some conversations with non-cyclists, makes me wonder if the door zone shouldn't have a hashed marking to indicate that people (bikes and cars) need to stay out of that spot.
while that'd be great, if we marked off the doorzone with hashmarks, where would the bike lanes go?
oh yeah thats exactly the one i had on my bag
langston
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 11:59 am
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 5547Location: Columbia City
my first major accident was getting doored, riding on the sidewalk the day before fourth grade started.
12 stitches down my left calf.
TrikerTrev
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:42 pm
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
About ten years ago I was in the bike lane on 4th, traffic was stopped and this guy just gets out of the passenger side door, POW!!!
This type of asstastick maneuver is what as effectively RUINED my enjoyment of upright cycles for, oh, liklely the rest of my fucking life! I wound up going from full tilt to full stop, wedged under a parked car bumper...upside down, in a ball, surrounded by christians doing nothing...all in 10 feet.
Hell, livingfuckinhell i tell ya!
We're all told to look for driver side doors, but those pesky passengers...oh, those BASTARDS...pezzo di merda, figlio di puttana!
watch out for those fuckers, boys and girls.
laura
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 2:43 pm
Joined: 22 Jun 2007Posts: 1050Location: wherever the dance party is
snyd3282 wrote:
There is a new "watch for bikes" sign on Dexter next to Starbucks.
No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side adjacent to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle adjacent to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.
No person shall enter, leave, or open the door of a motor vehicle on the side adjacent to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle adjacent to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers. (RCW 46.61.620)
seabiscuit
Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:20 pm
Joined: 12 Oct 2007Posts: 87Location: Greenwood/Phinney
I got nailed by an unsuspecting motorist in lovely Greenwood some years ago. Fortunately I was headed up hill and the street wasn't busy.
The survey's got a good point -- how often do you look for a parking advisory sign? Almost always if you're driving. A 'look for bikes' sign along side every 2 hr parking sign would definitely be an improvement.
Driver side passengers have got to be the biggest danger though: no mirror for them, and they're not the ones looking for the signs or anything else...
Thanks for the tip on the survey snyd! Taken and blogged.
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Joined: 02 Jul 2007
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Location: the only hill: Beacon
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could suck the fun out of a blowjob
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Location: Ballard / Fremont
1337
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Location: right over
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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Location: Columbia City
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
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Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
Joined: 22 Jun 2007
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Location: wherever the dance party is
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
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Location: Greenwood/Phinney
