[*BCM*] Politics ----> "Dooring"

[Hiroyuki G Yamada]

I agree -- Car doors have caused at least one accident for me, and 3 for 
my brother, 1 of which effectively ruined his bike *and* both he and the 
driver were injured (his scrapes etc much worse than the driver's jammed 
wrist). If you're in traffic and keeping pace with traffic, and most 
likely shunted off to the side of the road by some car tailing you, it's 
pretty easy to be within the strike zone of a car door.

Someone opening their door on a street should be careful *anyway,* of 
other cars if not of bikes. If it's parked w/ the traffic, there's a 
decent chance that if you slam the door wide open it could get ripped 
right off its hinge if the car that hits you is going fast enough.

All it takes is half a second to look behind you.

--Yuki

On Fri, 5 Oct 2007, Jym Dyer wrote:

>> I like the new law except the piece on "dooring."  I think
>> that someone who is exiting a car is a pedestrian and should
>> be afforded all the rights of one.
>
> =v= No, they are operating a motor vehicle.  They may not be
> operating the worst part of it, but it is a dangerous part.
>
> =v= Car doors can and do harm people, damage things, and in
> many locations they are the #1 source of injury to bicyclists.
> You don't solve that problem by misdefining their operators
> as pedestrians and bicyclists as therefore in the wrong.
>
> =v= Most states hold car door operators legally responsible
> for the consequences of their actions.
>
> =v= When they're not operating car doors, I agree 100% that
> people qualify as pedestrians.
>    <_Jym_>
>
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