Toronto cyclists are frequently doored

According to the Toronto police, 62 cyclists have reported being hit by people opening car doors while riding since November. When a cyclist rides past a stopped car and suddenly a door opens and hits them, it’s known as “dooring.” It is an all too common occurrence and given the potential for injury, it is a major problem that urban cyclists face every time they cycle.

Dooring has been a prevalent issue in the past and the police have been encouraging cyclists to report these incidents to build accurate statistics. While the total number of reported accidents is down, Police are hesitant to suggest that it is because the roads are safer. They cite that the lower number of reports could simply be a function of fewer people calling in when dooring happens.

There are websites like Doored that serve to track these incidents in an effort to make both cyclists and drivers more aware of the issue.

It’s important to keep in mind that improperly opening a door is in fact a violation of the Highway Traffic Act. According to 2012 statistics there was 104 convictions in Ontario alone.