Stats on cyclists getting doored
Public health has brought out its first ever report on cyclists getting doored – when it happens and why. Not surprisingly, it turns out that a separated bike path like the REV gives cyclists the most protection.
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Kate
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DeWolf 10:15 on 2024-05-01 Permalink
This is one reason I avoid St-Urbain above Pine, because the entire bike lane is in the dooring zone, with cars speeding by at 50 km/h right next to you.
Another issue is that, if you avoid the dooring zone on narrow streets like Beaubien and St-Zotique in Little Italy, you risk the wrath of drivers behind you who want to pass but don’t have enough space. Luckily most drivers realize passing is useless when there’s a stop sign every 100 metres, but it’s not the rational ones who get road rage.
Blork 10:31 on 2024-05-01 Permalink
No surprises there. For a glimpse of what cycling in Montreal was like in the 90s, before cycling infrastructure, check this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Sv4KsRoI66E?si=VOmxYNjWZARci9bG
Meezly 11:35 on 2024-05-01 Permalink
The two times I’ve been doored I had dented the car, but the person was more concerned whether I was ok. I can’t imagine how shitty it must be to get doored and quite injured as a result, and then to have the driver yell at and blame you for damaging their property (from an interviewee in the article).
The government should spend money on PSAs to drill into people the Dutch Reach. Both my dooring incidents were the result of a driver and passenger flinging open their door without bothering to look out the window.
Also the punishment for dooring a cyclist in QC is quite minimal – only $200. In ON, the fine is almost double that amount plus 3 demerit points.
CE 13:55 on 2024-05-01 Permalink
I’ve thankfully never been doored but have had a few close calls over the years. As the cycling infrastructure improves, my dangerous interactions with cars has gone down to the point where it now almost never happens (as opposed to at least weekly back when cycling in the city looked like the video posted above).
What DeWolf said regarding Beaubien is a.good example of how critics of Projet Montreal’s interventions miss the mark. Big flashy changes don’t always make as big a difference as something as simple as putting stop signs where they were thought of as being unnecessary before. Walking and cycling in the city is just so much more pleasant now because drivers are forced to slow down and stop for other users instead of having free reign over the streets.
DeWolf 15:04 on 2024-05-01 Permalink
@Meezly The SAAQ now includes the Dutch reach in its driver education material, so hopefully things improve in the future, but you’re absolutely right it needs to be publicized for everyone who learned to drive in the bad old days.
@CE That’s a good point. Although there are still a lot of frustrations, my experience in the central/east/north part of the city is so much better than even five years ago. There has been a lot of positive changes in a relatively short period of time.