MONTREAL – The height of cycling season is right around the corner and as bike enthusiasts begin to pedal through the city, the Montreal Bicycle coalition is launching a “One-Door-One life” campaign.
The group wants to raise awareness on ‘dooring’, a common incident that occurs on the streets when a motorist opens their car door and hits a cyclist passing by.
“If you look at the statistics from 2013, there were close to 850 accidents involving cyclists,” said Geoffrey Bush of the Coalition.
“12 per cent are due to dooring.”
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Last year 2 cyclist were killed.
Bush points out that most accidents go unreported so the number may not even represent an accurate total of accidents that occur on a daily basis.
Both cyclists and motorists can do their part to reduce the number of injuries.
Bikers are advised to stay at least a metre away from the side of a car, while motorists should check their blind spots before opening a door and “getting into the habit of reaching around with your opposite hand to open the door, it forces you to twist your body and look behind you before opening it,” adds Bush.
The Coalition is hoping the message gets through, so cyclists and motorists can finally co-exist safely out on the roads.
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