What are Dooring Accidents, and How Can Louisianans Prevent Them?

So many people have fallen victim to dooring accidents in Louisiana and other cities. Dooring accidents occur when a vehicle door opens into the path of a bicyclist, pedestrian, or motorcyclist. This oftentimes leads to severe injuries and, in worst cases, death. 

Louisiana is a big city with several modes of transportation. But, since many Louisianans use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation, drivers are required to check for bicyclists before opening their car doors.

According to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, 12% of bicycle crashes in 2020 involved dooring accidents. These accidents are more common in cities like New Orleans. This has increased the need for people to have a New Orleans bicycle accident attorney to help them in case they are involved in a dooring accident.

How Louisianans Can Prevent Dooring Accidents

There are several strategies that Louisianians can use to prevent dooring accidents from occurring, like:

Safe Door Opening Technique

Louisiana drivers should use the “Dutch Reach” method to open their cars. This involves using their far hand (the hand opposite the door they are opening). 

With the Dutch reach method, drivers are forced to turn their bodies and look over their shoulders to watch out for oncoming cyclists and pedestrians before opening their door, which prevents dooring accidents. 

Drivers can also check blind spots and mirrors before opening their car doors. Some drivers make the mistake of intentionally parking in bike lanes, which should be avoided.

Cyclist vigilance

Most cyclists are not vigilant, especially when they are riding near a parked car. They do not anticipate that they could be in any danger and that they are vulnerable to an accident if someone abruptly opens the door. So, both cyclists and drivers should be aware of dooring risks.

While cyclists are careful while driving beside cars, drivers should watch out for cyclists before opening their doors. Cyclists should be aware of their surroundings and use designated bike lanes and crosswalks. They should also have their safety gear on.

Legislation

Dooring accidents can also be prevented with better legislation. There should be penalties for drivers who open their doors into the path of cyclists. Louisiana should also place better laws in place against car owners parking near bike lanes. 

Recently, Louisiana has taken these safety laws seriously by revising statutes that require drivers to check for pedestrians and cyclists before opening doors. The New Orleans Municipal Code prohibits parking in bike lanes. Drivers should take this legislation seriously.

Safety Initiatives

Several safety initiatives can also help prevent dooring accidents. Public awareness campaigns should be done to educate drivers to look well before opening any car doors. If possible, cycling education and safety workshops should be done in school so that cyclists and pedestrians are informed early on.

Community members should be encouraged to make any reports about unsafe cycling and driving practices relating to dooring. In areas where there is high parking, there should be clear signage in place that will warn drivers about dooring accident risks and safety practices that they should take seriously.

You need to seek medical attention immediately if you are involved in a dooring accident when you feel okay. Report the incident to the appropriate authorities. Document evidence that you can show to your attorney, who will use it for your insurance claim.

Reporting Dangerous Parking Areas

If you see parking spaces that are too close to bike lanes, where opening a car door might hit a cyclist, it’s a good idea to let local authorities know. Just give them a quick report about the spot so they can check it out. 

When you let them know about high-risk areas, they can look into fixing the problem, like adding bike lane barriers, better signs, or changing parking rules. It only takes a few minutes to report it, but it could really help prevent accidents and keep everyone safer on the road.

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