Search News

Results: 1-10 of 808


Start again

22 Mar 2024

Rob Brown, co-director of Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, a not-for-profit hire scheme has been nominated for the Tourism Superstar 2024 award, run by VisitEngland.

8 Mar 2024

Daniel Blackham, editor of industry magazine BikeBiz, has been writing about his experience of completing the Cytech technical one qualification at training provider Spokes People in Milton...

6 Mar 2024

Cytech partner Activate Cycle Academy, the largest and most recognised training provider of bike maintenance and technical training courses to the UK’s cycle industry, recently welcomed a...

2 Jan 2024

Hudjo is the first online marketplace that lets cyclists park with locals, which relieves the anxiety of parking your bike. 

19 Dec 2023

Bira's CEO, Andrew Goodacre, took the spotlight on BBC Breakfast this week and later spoke with Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live, shedding light on the rise in retail crime and shop theft,...

23 Nov 2023

Retail sector leaders have expressed a range of concerns, from taxation to business rates, following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement this week.

15 Nov 2023

The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the UK, has outlined its expectations from the government...

9 Nov 2023

Cytech has been named as the provider of Best Retailer Services in the 2023 BikeBiz Awards, recognising the positive impact of its service to the cycling industry. More than 25,000 Cytech...

2 Nov 2023

Cytech, the internationally recognised training and accreditation scheme for bicycle technicians, has relaunched its Cytech theory one online learning course delivering an introduction to...

4 Oct 2023

Shop owners have called on the Home Secretary to specifically outlaw attacks on retail workers.

Back to news menu

Cycling UK calls for greater public awareness of 'car dooring'

Posted on in Cycles News , Outdoor News

Cycling UK have called for wider awareness to be made about the dangers of car dooring and how to prevent it through a public awareness campaign.

cycle pathFigures released by the Department for Transport to Cycling UK show between 2011 and 2015 there were 3108 people were injured, eight fatally, where ‘vehicle door opened or closed negligently' was a contributing factor in incidents attended by the police. 2009 of the casualties were people cycling, with five resulting in fatalities.

Cycling UK believes that these figures are not fully representative of the scale of the problem, as not all car dooring incidents will be attended by the police.

In a letter to Transport Minister, Jesse Norman MP, Cycling UK Chief Executive Paul Tuohy has called for a public awareness THINK campaign aimed at all car occupants, not just drivers, to look before opening their door.

Cycling UK believe a method where people open car doors with their far hand, rather than the near could prove beneficial and prevent avoidable collisions. This method, sometimes called 'the Dutch Reach' as it is common practice in the Netherlands, has the benefit of allowing the person opening their car door to look behind while also limiting how far their door can open.

The cycling charity has also suggested a public awareness campaign could include advice on safer road positioning for people cycling, so as to create understanding among all road users about the importance of avoiding the 'door zone'.

The charity would also like to see methods like the 'Dutch Reach' promoted through driver training, and changes to the law which would include an offence of 'death or serious injury through negligently opening a car door'. The current offence of car dooring currently carries a maximum £1,000 penalty, even if someone dies or is seriously injured as a result of the incident.

Paul Tuohy, Cycling UK's Chief Executive said "Some people seem to see car dooring as a bit of a joke, but it's not and can have serious consequences.

"Cycling UK wants to see greater awareness made about the dangers of opening your car door negligently, and people to be encouraged to look before they open.

"In the Netherlands they are known for practicing a method, known sometimes as the "Dutch Reach", which we think could be successfully encouraged in the UK. Cycling UK has written to the Department for Transport asking them to look into this, and highlight the dangers of "car-dooring" through a public awareness THINK style campaign."

 

Back to news menu

Useful links

If you have any other queries please contact us.