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Cyclist dies after hitting car door



 
 
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  #21  
Old April 16th 07, 08:59 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Zebee Johnstone
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Posts: 1,960
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:54:03 +1000
Glen F wrote:
A college was once doored by a passenger while
passing to the left of a line of cars waiting
at the lights. Some cars really do have them,
and sometimes they even get out - at the oddest
places.


I recall a case in Adelaide in the mid 80s where that happened.

It caused a stir because the judge held the passenger was personally
liable for compensation and medical costs as a) it was reasonably
forseeable that there might be a pushbike there so the passenger should
have looked and b) the car's 3rd party insurance only covered the
*driver's* actions.

I don't know if it was appealed or what happened, I do recall there
was a fair old fuss in the 'Tizer.

Zebee
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  #22  
Old April 16th 07, 09:08 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Resound[_2_]
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Posts: 177
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door


"Richard Sherratt" wrote in
message ...
On Sat, 14 Apr 2007 11:18:25 GMT, "Campag_nut"
wrote:


One time it happened to me (no bike lane), the two young guys in the
hot Torana behind me, who had hung back waiting for a chance to
overtake, abused the door opener and apologised to me on behalf of all
car drivers.

Amazing, but true.


Are you sure they weren't high on something???
g


They were lucid :-)

I was surprised, but happy.

I'm guessing they were cyclists themselves.


  #23  
Old April 16th 07, 10:32 AM posted to aus.bicycle
beerwolf
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Posts: 22
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door

Zebee Johnstone wrote in
:

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:54:03 +1000
Glen F wrote:
A college was once doored by a passenger while
passing to the left of a line of cars waiting
at the lights. Some cars really do have them,
and sometimes they even get out - at the oddest
places.


I recall a case in Adelaide in the mid 80s where that happened.

It caused a stir because the judge held the passenger was personally
liable for compensation and medical costs as a) it was reasonably
forseeable that there might be a pushbike there so the passenger
should have looked and b) the car's 3rd party insurance only covered
the *driver's* actions.


Most taxis I've ridden in (all? can't be sure) have a sticker right in
the front passenger's face, warning to watch for cyclists when getting
out, and saying that liability is the passenger's in the event of the
door hitting anything. If that is not the case, it ought to be.

I've been pondering the long term potential for saving lives and
injuries, by changing car design standards to prevent doors being flung
open. I'd envisage a door opening in 2 stages - first a little push
could open it so there's a gap just big enough to see through.
Thereafter, the door would only move further with positive pressure at a
certain point far from the hinge, so your hand would have to travel with
the door. In similar mode to the spring-loaded doors you find leading to
stairwells. If this happened, we'd just about eliminate the problem over
time, I reckon.

--
beerwolf
(To reply by email, remove numbers from my address)
  #24  
Old April 16th 07, 10:54 AM posted to aus.bicycle
MikeyOz[_7_]
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Posts: 1
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door


Duncan Wrote:
I'm very wary of car doors, but I figure if I'm in a situation where
I'm going to hit, I'm steering INTO the car (and possibly soft door-
opener) rather than into that very sharp unforgiving edge.
duncan


Helmet first into the person that opened the door in the first place,
if you have time to make that decision, should also give the driver
something to think about.


--
MikeyOz

  #25  
Old April 16th 07, 12:32 PM posted to aus.bicycle
PeteSig
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Posts: 21
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door


"beerwolf" wrote:

I've been pondering the long term potential for saving lives and
injuries, by changing car design standards to prevent doors being flung
open. I'd envisage a door opening in 2 stages - first a little push
could open it so there's a gap just big enough to see through.
Thereafter, the door would only move further with positive pressure at a
certain point far from the hinge, so your hand would have to travel with
the door. In similar mode to the spring-loaded doors you find leading to
stairwells. If this happened, we'd just about eliminate the problem over
time, I reckon.


Great idea! New Inventors for you, son, if you can run with it.

--
Cheers
Peter

~~~ ~ _@
~~ ~ _- \,
~~ (*)/ (*)


  #26  
Old April 17th 07, 12:13 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Artoi
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Posts: 818
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door

In article ,
Bean Long wrote:

The circumstances are pretty sketchy. The report makes it sound as
though he ran into an open door like it had been open for some time...
Or was it opened on him by someone who wasn't looking?


Apparently this unfortunate victim is a friend of a poster on one of the
cycling forums. According to him, the victim did not wear a helmet. He
posted to warn everyone again of the dangers of not wearing a helmet.
--
  #27  
Old April 17th 07, 12:59 AM posted to aus.bicycle
TimC
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Posts: 1,361
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door

On 2007-04-16, Artoi (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
In article ,
Bean Long wrote:

The circumstances are pretty sketchy. The report makes it sound as
though he ran into an open door like it had been open for some time...
Or was it opened on him by someone who wasn't looking?


Apparently this unfortunate victim is a friend of a poster on one of the
cycling forums. According to him, the victim did not wear a helmet. He
posted to warn everyone again of the dangers of not wearing a helmet.


I can see the police report now.

"He wasn't wearing a helmet. Driver has no case to answer. QED".

--
TimC
Skywalker You are either with me, or you are my enemy.
Only a Sith deals in absolutes. -- Obi Wan Kenobi on George Bush Jnr
  #28  
Old April 17th 07, 01:13 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Theo Bekkers
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Posts: 1,182
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door

beerwolf wrote:

I've been pondering the long term potential for saving lives and
injuries, by changing car design standards to prevent doors being
flung open. I'd envisage a door opening in 2 stages - first a little
push could open it so there's a gap just big enough to see through.
Thereafter, the door would only move further with positive pressure
at a certain point far from the hinge, so your hand would have to
travel with the door. In similar mode to the spring-loaded doors you
find leading to stairwells. If this happened, we'd just about
eliminate the problem over time, I reckon.


How about we go back to "suicide" doors, front doors hinged at the centre
pillar, rear doors hinged at the rear. They make it much easier to get in
and out of the vehicle and would deflect a bike rider rather than give them
an edge to run in to. They will need a locking mechanism to prevent the
doors being opened whilst the vehicle is in motion, but that is not
difficult. A lot of cars now auto-lock the doors when they reach a
predetermined speed. All Mercedes cars now lock the doors at 15 km/h.

Theo


  #29  
Old April 17th 07, 02:24 AM posted to aus.bicycle
PiledHigher
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Posts: 281
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door

On Apr 17, 10:13 am, "Theo Bekkers" wrote:
beerwolf wrote:
I've been pondering the long term potential for saving lives and
injuries, by changing car design standards to prevent doors being
flung open. I'd envisage a door opening in 2 stages - first a little
push could open it so there's a gap just big enough to see through.
Thereafter, the door would only move further with positive pressure
at a certain point far from the hinge, so your hand would have to
travel with the door. In similar mode to the spring-loaded doors you
find leading to stairwells. If this happened, we'd just about
eliminate the problem over time, I reckon.


How about we go back to "suicide" doors, front doors hinged at the centre
pillar, rear doors hinged at the rear. They make it much easier to get in
and out of the vehicle and would deflect a bike rider rather than give them
an edge to run in to. They will need a locking mechanism to prevent the
doors being opened whilst the vehicle is in motion, but that is not
difficult. A lot of cars now auto-lock the doors when they reach a
predetermined speed. All Mercedes cars now lock the doors at 15 km/h.

Theo


The problem with deflection is that the average death in this
situaation is caused by the rider being run over by a following car
while on the ground. This wasn't the case here but most often is.
Someone else has said it, aim for the door opener, don't swerve
outward.

  #30  
Old April 17th 07, 02:33 AM posted to aus.bicycle
Theo Bekkers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,182
Default Cyclist dies after hitting car door

PiledHigher wrote:
"Theo Bekkers" wrote:


How about we go back to "suicide" doors, front doors hinged at the
centre pillar, rear doors hinged at the rear. They make it much
easier to get in and out of the vehicle and would deflect a bike
rider rather than give them an edge to run in to. They will need a
locking mechanism to prevent the doors being opened whilst the
vehicle is in motion, but that is not difficult. A lot of cars now
auto-lock the doors when they reach a predetermined speed. All
Mercedes cars now lock the doors at 15 km/h.


The problem with deflection is that the average death in this
situation is caused by the rider being run over by a following car
while on the ground. This wasn't the case here but most often is.
Someone else has said it, aim for the door opener, don't swerve
outward.


In the scenario wasn't it the passenger who opened the door, and would they
not be alighting from the kerb lane? A deflection would put the rider on the
footpath. Isn't this scenario more likely than the driver getting out of the
car or a passenger getting out from a car not in the kerb-side lane. I think
it would be against most people's natural reaction to steer into the
obstruction.

Theo


 




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