Near Miss of the Day 242: Cyclist almost doored in Glasgow

John Smith wrote:

The gap is quite tight and passing between parked cars and stationary traffic is not going to go down well in the event that something goes wrong.

Presumably, except when the council has decided to paint a lane there because that's where they think cyclists should ride...?

Example: https://goo.gl/maps/2JWbZvCk92H2

brooksby wrote:

John Smith wrote:

The gap is quite tight and passing between parked cars and stationary traffic is not going to go down well in the event that something goes wrong.

Presumably, except when the council has decided to paint a lane there because that's where they think cyclists should ride...?

Example: https://goo.gl/maps/2JWbZvCk92H2

When I see markings like that, I treat it as a reminder of where not to cycle.  My local council painted some lines like that and I think it took less than a week before people explained how stupid it was.  To their credit, the council rapidly painted over the white lines with black paint - unfortunately the white paint has adhered to the road surface much better than the black paint adhered to the white paint, so they are now white lines again.

brooksby wrote:

John Smith wrote:

The gap is quite tight and passing between parked cars and stationary traffic is not going to go down well in the event that something goes wrong.

Presumably, except when the council has decided to paint a lane there because that's where they think cyclists should ride...?

Example: https://goo.gl/maps/2JWbZvCk92H2

Yes, in that case it is an additional lane on the road. A stupidly designed lane put in without thought for safety, but still a lane, making the situation rather different in the case of a crash. If there were a cycle lane in the video I’d be blaming the council for the stupid “infrastructure” (otherwise known as paint to claim they are supporting active transport).

danhopgood wrote:

Contributory negligence........

https://www.cyclistsdefencefund.org.uk/the-law-for-cyclists-hit-by-vehicle-doors

Yeah, but contributory negligence affects damages in a civil case.

Doesn't change or affect that it's 'opening the door in such a way as to harm and to endanger someone' which is a criminal offence (admittedly, according to the link you've provided, a pretty rubbish offence - maximum £1,000 fine and no points ).

brooksby wrote:

danhopgood wrote:

Contributory negligence........

https://www.cyclistsdefencefund.org.uk/the-law-for-cyclists-hit-by-vehicle-doors

Yeah, but contributory negligence affects damages in a civil case.

Doesn't change or affect that it's 'opening the door in such a way as to harm and to endanger someone' which is a criminal offence (admittedly, according to the link you've provided, a pretty rubbish offence - maximum £1,000 fine and no points ).

I do remember reading about someone receiving the maximum fine, I seem to recall it was a lady who opened her car door into the path of a man on a bicycle - sending him into the path of an oncoming van.  She got £1000 fine and he died. 

danhopgood wrote:

Contributory negligence........

https://www.cyclistsdefencefund.org.uk/the-law-for-cyclists-hit-by-vehicle-doors

Thank you, a fascinating article, not least because of this quote "The police also seem to sympathise with drivers who cause injury by momentary inattention, particularly where it is seen as a trivial lapse."  So at least some people in the legal trade recognise the bias in the system.

The bias exists even if the cyclist dies, as has been demonstrated so many times on this site.  And the opposite of course, any infraction by a cyclist is treated more seriously by the very same police.

danhopgood wrote:

Highway Code Rule 67:

"Leave plenty of room when passing parked vehicles and watch out for doors being opened or pedestrians stepping into your path."

 So cyclists in these circumstances getting doored won't get much sympathy in law.  In this case the rider was obviously aware of the risk and was (just) able to stop.  Waiting with the rest of the traffic isn't going to cut it, so options in my view are to go dead slow, or down the outside of hte traffic depending on how much space there is.

Expecting car drivers to all flawlessly execute a Dutch Reach every time they get out is expecting a bit much I reckon. 

Are you sure about that?

Car dooring is illegal under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, which states that “No person shall open, or cause or permit to be opened, any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger any person”.

danhopgood wrote:

So cyclists in these circumstances getting doored won't get much sympathy in law.

Oh, FFS....

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

danhopgood wrote:

So cyclists in these circumstances getting doored won't get much sympathy in law.

Oh, FFS....

I know a man, can do you a good deal on some paving slabs...