Help Keep Cyclists Safe – Don’t Door Them!

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Although we’re a spin studio, many of us are road cyclists. It can be scary out there. There are  more cyclists on the road this time of year, and drivers have to be extra cautious.  One thing you can do to help keep cyclists safer is check before you open your car door.  You could save a cyclist’s life and also avoid a fine or a lawsuit.

“Dooring” occurs when someone in a parked vehicle opens their door into the path of a cyclist. In Ontario, drivers face a $365 fine plus three demerit points for dooring a cyclist. They must also leave a one-metre distance when passing cyclists or face a $110 fine and two demerit points. The fine in B.C. for dooring is $81, plus two driver penalty points. One in 14 B.C. car crashes involving cyclists are the result of dooring, according to the Insurance Corp. of B.C. ICBC recommends a method called a “Dutch reach,” to avoid dooring.“ This is easily preventable with a handy trick — open with your hand furthest from the door. It makes you twist a little in order to reach the door and remind you to do a shoulder check before proceeding.”


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