Dooring is a phenomenon most commonly associated with bicyclists. However, it can affect pedestrians and even motorcyclists as well.
What is dooring? And why is it a danger to motorcyclists?
The definition of dooring
The Active Transportation Alliance discusses dooring and how to handle it. But first: what is it?
Dooring occurs when a person inside a parked car on either the passenger or driver side opens their car door into the road without looking to see if anyone is coming.
Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists all run a risk of slamming directly into that door when they do not expect one to suddenly appear in their path.
Why motorcyclists are at risk
It makes sense as to why cyclists and pedestrians are at risk, but why motorcyclists? After all, they have a more powerful vehicle and wear sturdier helmets.
Unfortunately, not even this level of protection can fully guarantee that a motorcyclist will collide with something and come out unscathed.
On top of that, motorcycles travel at a much faster speed than either pedestrians or cyclists. This means they will usually have worse injuries because the crash results in a worse, more intense impact.
Finally, motorcyclists also risk getting launched from their bike and into traffic just like any cyclist. A motorcycle helmet will simply not provide the protection needed when launched directly into the path of other moving vehicles.
For these reasons, dooring should count as a serious issue that affects the motorcycle community and puts riders at risk.