Cyclist Roadside Assistance: What Is “Dooring”

Since its implementation in 2014, Vision Zero has brought traffic deaths in New York City to historic lows, and has helped reshape the culture on our streets through a comprehensive program of engineering, education, and enforcement. Using data acquired by the Traffic Accident Management System (TAMS), which is maintained by the New York City Police Department (NYPD), as well as data collected from the NYC DOT Automated Bike Counters, we can see how cyclist ridership is up. With Vision Zero, and New York City’s vast and ever expanding cycling network, citizens experience streets that are safer and more accessible for walking, cycling, using micromobility, riding transit, and driving vehicles. Despite the increased safety, cyclists still experience collisions resulting in injury, and even fatalities, with one of the more common accident types being dooring.

One of New York City’s Most Common Bicycle Accidents: Dooring

Dooring occurs when a driver opens their door without giving a cyclist enough time to either pass them, or stop safely as they travel along their route. It results in the cyclist, at best, receiving minor broken bones or a concussion, but can also be fatal. This particularly affects areas where bike lanes run alongside parking lanes. Accurately tracking dooring statistics presents significant challenges, with inconsistent definitions and data collection methods across jurisdictions. Despite being hidden in data collection as “other” or being lumped into the “inattentive driver” category for “contributing factors,” dooring is still well known to cyclists of New York City. Over 800 dooring incidents are reported annually in the city, making the “Door Zone” one of the top hazards cyclists face.

The Door Zone, and How To Avoid It

The 4-foot area along parked cars where an opening door can seriously injure a cyclist is commonly referred to as the “door zone”. Being alert while riding your bicycle in New York City is important, but being alert when in a door zone can save your life. Here are a few tips on avoiding the door zone:

• Slow and Steady – when you move into any door-zone bike lane, it’s best to slow down. Go slow enough so that a door opening in your path will not surprise you; we reccomend going no faster than a walking pace.
• Ride The Left Side – ride on the left side of bike lanes at least 4 feet from parked cars.
• Observe Occupants -we recommend that you check for occupants and move outside the door zone or slow down if you spot someone inside a parked car.
• Rear Vigilance – always watch the traffic behind you (using a mirror if helpful) so you know whether you have room to swerve suddenly if needed.
• Know When To Take The Lane – take the lane by moving to the center when there isn’t enough room to maintain both 4 feet from parked cars and the 3-foot minimum passing distance for motorists, and watch to your left for doors opening from that side as well, especially when passing stopped traffic where passengers might exit midblock, slowing down and proceeding with caution whenever you find yourself between stopped traffic on the left and parked cars on the right. 

Regardless of how cautious you may be of motorists while you’re in the bike lane, you’re not relevant to them, and are always at risk. Beware of drivers who may turn right in front of you, or left across your path. A door-zone also acts as a shield for you from motorists who may be driving onto the road at an intersection, or from a driveway. Being alert is your due diligence as a rider, but there is always a chance that someone else’s negligence can set you up for a nasty riding experience. The result of a negligent driver opening their door is determined by how fast the driver was riding, and how much distance they have to stop, or brace for impact.

The Distance Between You and Pain

In 2019 the NYC DOT released a study that found that approximately 7% of all cycling injuries in the city were caused by dooring. In 2021 there were over 300 reported crashes between a cyclist and motorist in NYC where dooring occurred. Research by the German Insurance Association (GDV) demonstrates that the distance required for a cyclist to safely stop depends critically on their speed. At 15 km/h, a cyclist needs at least 7 meters (4m reaction distance + 3m braking distance) to avoid a collision. This increases to 11 meters at 20 km/h and 15 meters at 25 km/h. The calculations assume a one-second reaction time and a deceleration rate of 3 m/s². As the avoidability diagram illustrates, when a cyclist traveling at 20 km/h is only 6 meters away when a door opens, a collision is unavoidable—but at 11 meters, they have just enough space to stop safely. These findings underscore the importance of motorists checking for cyclists before opening doors and the need for adequate spacing between parked cars and bike lanes.

Holding Drivers Accountable for Dooring Accidents in New York City

The physics of dooring accidents underscore why these collisions are so dangerous and often unavoidable for cyclists. As the data demonstrates, a cyclist traveling at just 20 km/h (approximately 12 mph) requires 11 meters – over 36 feet – to safely stop when a car door opens unexpectedly. In many New York City streets, this distance simply doesn’t exist between parked cars and moving traffic. When a door opens with only 6 meters of space, the collision is inevitable, regardless of the cyclist’s attentiveness or skill.

Legal recourse for cyclists injured in dooring accidents typically involves an insurance claim and potentially a lawsuit against the at-fault driver. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1214 explicitly prohibits opening a vehicle door unless it is “reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic.” This statute provides a clear foundation for proving negligence when a driver fails to check for approaching cyclists before opening their door. New York’s comparative negligence rule ensures that even if the cyclist bears some responsibility – perhaps for riding too fast given conditions – they can still recover a proportional share of damages. The motorist’s violation of the door-opening statute, combined with evidence of the stopping distances required, strengthens the injured cyclist’s case considerably.

While infrastructure improvements like protected bike lanes can reduce dooring risk, holding the city liable for the absence of such infrastructure is generally not feasible in court. Instead, the legal focus is on whether the motorist acted with reasonable care under the existing road conditions. The evidence is clear: drivers must look before opening doors, and when they fail to do so and cyclists get hurt, the law allows those cyclists to seek accountability and compensation. This reinforces the principle that everyone on the road – especially those operating heavier vehicles capable of causing serious harm – must share responsibility for safety.