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Hamilton dooring victim has two broken ribs and wrist

The video of the incident highlights the risks cyclists face daily

Cyclists get doored in Hamilton Photo by: David Shellnutt
May 4, 2023
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A Hamilton dooring victim has two broken ribs and wrist following an incident. According to an article in the Peterborough Examiner, Michael Gilroy said he had “’about a split second’ to anticipate the pain before he and his partner crashed into a car door that opened suddenly” in front of them.

Getting doored is something that we all worry about.

Dooring is a fear for many riders

“It’s kind of always been one of my greatest fears,” Gilroy said. “You have about a split second to think, ‘Oh, how bad is this going to be?’ and then you’re sprawled on the road. His partner also broke their wrists and they both went to the hospital.

Following the incident, David Shellnutt, a.k.a The Biking Lawyer, weighed in on the dangers of drivers opening their doors without checking for cyclists first.

He also added that a video of the incident is “quite shocking.”

Driver did not leave insurance information

“The driver left the scene without providing his insurance information or reporting the collision to authorities. Our clients were in shock but after the driver left, they realized they were both injured,” Shellnutt explained.

Many advocates are pushing for drivers to use the Dutch reach to prevent doorings. That means that a motorist uses their right hand to open your door, which forces their eyes to check for cyclists behind them.

Dutch reach could make real changes

In 2016, Liberal MP Joël Lightbound said that the Dutch reach could save lives. “Every year in Canada, 7,500 cyclists are seriously injured or killed in this country and some of these accidents are preventable using a simple technique called the Dutch reach,” Lightbound said in Parliament. “I encourage all Canadians and all members to practise all winter long so when summer comes in this land, from coast to coast to coast, we do the Dutch reach.”

Liberal MP believes the ‘Dutch reach’ could save cyclists’ lives

In Quebec, the auto insurance board (SAAQ) training courses and exams now teach motorists about the method.

Magali Bebronne, a spokesperson for Vélo Québec, spoke of the horrors of a car door opening, and how cyclists can do very little to react.

“It’s like a wall all of a sudden falling in front of you. There’s really not much you can do,” Bebronne said. “It’s really up to the drivers to make sure they’re vigilant.”

You can watch the dooring incident below, as well as learn what to do if it happens to you.