Home > Other Fun Stuff > Gadgets & Hacks

Dooring Alert System adds flashing lights to the car, alerts cyclists before it’s too late

7 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

While I try to scan parked cars as I’m riding past, looking for folks who might be about to carelessly fling their door open into traffic, it’s a challenge when the streets are busy and there’s so much more vying for my attention. And even if the driver does give a quick glance in the mirror, it’s likely they’re only looking for cars, and rear seat passengers would actually have to turn around to look first. In the Netherlands, drivers are taught to use the opposite arm to open the door, which forces them to twist and increased the likelihood they’ll glance around behind them for a more thorough check.

Until such tactics are implemented everywhere and more people give a damn, there’ll be others turning to gadgets and technology to try to solve the problem…

dooring-alert-systems-car-door-alert-for-cyclists

The system is being developed in two varieties, one for aftermarket retrofit to existing vehicles (which requires the driver to give a damn and pony up money) and a factory installed kit that would come stock on vehicles in the future.

The device would give cyclists a visual heads up when occupants remove their seatbelts, indicating imminent door opening and giving them time to react. Whether that’s slowing down, moving wide after checking for traffic behind them or giving a yell, it’s better than the alternative – hitting the door or an emergency swerve into traffic.

Dooring Alert Systems has volumes of data and anecdotes to support their cause, and they’ll be looking for you to support it on Kickstarter soon. Sign up on their site to get alerts.

DooringAlertSystems.com

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

7 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
fergus
fergus
8 years ago

So the rider takes evasive maneuvers when a driver or passenger unclips their belt and the lights flash. This is putting the duty onto to the bike rider to move around the opening door and removing the responsibility from the driver to use the mirrors and child locks on the car.

This is stupid and goes against any common sense. How about welding the door closed so people that cant use mirrors have to exit via the footpath through the passenger door, would make more sense than this

Mike D
Mike D
8 years ago

“As thoughtlessness, and truly, it’s no one’s fault is the main reason for dooring crashes”. Simply, no. If you open your door into a traffic lane and a passing car rips your door off, you are at fault, not the passing car. Same holds true for opening into a bike traffic lane. This is NEVER the responsibility of passing traffic, and ALWAYS the responsibility of the person exiting the vehicle.

Kasper
Kasper
8 years ago

I am Dutch, I never heard of this “In the Netherlands, drivers are taught to use the opposite arm to open the door”.

stardusk
stardusk
8 years ago

Also Dutch, I at least wasn’t taught to open the door with my opposite arm. But I was taught to check for upcoming traffic (especially cyclists) when opening the door. My opinion is everyone should do this and we as cyclists shouldn’t need to rely on a system like this to avoid doors opened by careless people in cars.

Velociraptor
Velociraptor
8 years ago

April Fools?

bbb
bbb
8 years ago

Another smokescreen safety solution” that shifts the blame from the culprit to the victim and no doubt would be used by a driver as mitigation in court…

bob
bob
8 years ago

“they’ll be looking for you to support it on Kickstarter soon.”

Nope. I’ll be looking to support anything that makes drivers look what they’re doing and take some responsibility rather than using ‘safety’ systems to help them give less of a —-.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.