Door Zone

From ibikeu Wiki

The door zone is the area covered by a car door swinging open. This presents a threat to cyclists because an opening door becomes a sudden and unexpected obstacle that can cause serious harm. Motorists are often preoccupied with not thinking about what they are doing, and do not always check and look before opening a door.

It is advised that when you ride alongside parallel parked cars that you keep far enough left that you can avoid doors completely or give your self enough room to swerve and avoid. Common advice is to look through the rear windows as you pass cars to see if someone is inside. Assume that a person inside the vehicle can potentially swing their door at any moment, and give your self ample room to swerve and avoid.

Commonly this threat only comes from the right on U.S. roadways unless it is a one way street, but do not always assume that left is safe when moving through stopped traffic. Occasionally a motorist stuck in traffic is trying to drop someone off, after unsuccessfully searching for parking or a loading zone. In this instance a person may suddenly exit the right of a vehicle to your left and hurriedly run for the side walk. This is obviously very hazardous for the cyclist, however very uncommon in day to day riding. It is most likely to happen at very popular destinations at times of peak traffic.

Related Phrases

• Doored: To be hit by a car door.
• The Door Prize: Another way of describing being doored, that references secret game show prizes hidden behind a choice of various doors. Example: "John got the door prize on his commute this morning," means that John was doored, or hit by a car door.