Warning Systems To Prevent Drivers From Dooring Cyclists Announced by Ford and Volkswagen
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When riding a bike through a city or on any street with motorist traffic and parked cars, cyclists have a lot to be on the look out for. A car door being flung open in their path by someone exiting a parked vehicle is one of those things.
It’s tough to see what drivers sitting in parked cars are doing from behind, and cyclists have lots of other things to watch out for as they maneuver the road.
Often without thinking, drivers open their doors without looking behind for oncoming traffic, especially in the form of cyclists—a very dangerous move that can result in serious injuries.
Both Ford and Volkswagen are taking steps to prevent occupants in their vehicles from “dooring” cyclists and other vulnerable road users. Both companies will be implementing warning systems in more and more of their vehicles.
Car Scoops reported that Ford’s Exit Warning will be rolled out first to European delivery vans, such as the Transit Custom and the Tourneo Custom. Then some passenger vehicles, like the Explorer and the Mustang, will also be equipped with the system.
“By offering Exit Warning on the all-new Transit Custom, we are aiming to make journeys safer for Ford Pro drivers and other road users as well,” Hans Schep, the general manager of Ford Pro Europe, told Car Scoops.
The warning system uses the vehicle’s radar and sensors to detect if a bike is approaching. Car Scoops reported that, “If it senses that opening a door could be dangerous, an LED indicator on the side mirror illuminates, as does a warning light on the dashboard to let the occupant know.”
Ford announced in July that the 2024 Mustang would include the feature. According to the Ford website, “Cycling accidents are most common from June through September.”
Volkswagen is also introducing a similar technology to Ford, initially also in Europe and more targeted to passenger vehicles, such as the new Tiguan, Passat, and Golf. “These vehicles will illuminate their side mirrors if they sense a bicycle coming when a door is being opened, ”according to Car Scoops.
Additionally, a chime will sound to audibly warn door openers of doorside cyclist traffic approaching.
There have been different initiatives implemented to try to solve “dooring” incidents. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) started tracking annual dooring crashes in Chicago in 2011. That year, the Chicago Tribune reported that there were 336 cases of dooring. In 2015, there were 302 cases.
In 2016, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency reported that between 2012–2015, doorings of bicyclists constituted 16 percent of the crashes where the bicyclist was not at fault.
Dooring is an issue throughout the world. According to We Love Cycling, “In 2003, dooring was the cause of 11.9 percent of all cycling injuries registered in Toronto, while eight percent of all serious injuries of London cyclists were the result of a collision with a car door. Dooring claimed the same percentage of victims also in Victoria, Australia, between 2006 and 2010.”
Hopefully more car manufacturers will adopt a similar move to Ford and Volkswagen in adding more safety features that keep all road users safe.
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