UPDATE: The Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously passed a dooring ordinance at its May 4 meeting.
May is Bike Month and during it, the Town of Chapel Hill could potentially pass an ordinance aimed at protecting bicyclists.
Fewer than ten states lack a statewide dooring ordinance — including North Carolina. Dooring occurs when a driver opens their car door and hits a bicyclist often resulting in serious injury.
These ordinances fine drivers who leave doors open too long or open their car door without looking. Now, Chapel Hill is considering passing its own ordinance.
Tab Combs is research associate in the UNC department of transportation and planning and she bikes everywhere she can.
“I’ve been using a bike as my sole means of transportation for about 25 years,” Combs said. “I think I have a lot of skill and a lot of ability to keep myself relatively safe on a bike. I would not recommend someone who does not have that sort of skill set and experience to try and get around by bicycle in Chapel Hill.”
In January, a bicyclist not wearing a helmet on his electric bike was killed in Chapel Hill after a motorist opened a car door into him.
“This was a perfect example of, you know, two people happen to not be 100% on their game at the exact same moment and someone died because of it,” Combs said.
Combs emailed the Chapel Hill Town Council asking them to pass a dooring ordinance which the town is now considering.
Terry Lansdell is the director of BikeWalkNC – a statewide advocacy group for bicyclists and pedestrians. He said governments take a reactive approach to safety.
I think that’s what this dooring law does,” Lansdell said. “It usually comes out of a specific instance. When a cyclist or pedestrian has a significant event, most folks understand that this was a father, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister – that becomes very humanized. I think that it hasn’t been considered for change, just because it hasn’t been a pressing issue for the General Assembly for our elected officials.”
Lansdell said in North Carolina, dooring ordinances are left to local municipalities. Raleigh Transportation Director Michael Moore said the city passed its dooring ordinance in 2013.
“The ordinance basically reads that it’s unlawful for motor vehicles on the side available to moving traffic to open a door into the path of a cyclist,” Moore said. “It also makes it illegal for you to leave the door open for any amount of time other than it is necessary to get in and out of the car itself.”
Raleigh drivers cited for dooring can be charged with a misdemeanor receiving a fine of up to $50 or imprisonment for up to 30 days in jail.
“I think it’s really more of a tool for us to have it on the books and to be able to share that as a rule and a consequence, and a best practice for the community,” Moore said. “A lot of this really comes down to, how can we educate people to be conscious that there are users in the roadway.”
Chapel Hill Town Council member Michael Parker said he’s confident that the ordinance will pass once it’s brought to council.
“It’s something we are committed to doing,” Parker said. “It keeps Chapel Hill safe [so] that we don’t have horrible accidents like we had a few months ago. I mean, that was tragic, inexcusable and we want to take whatever steps we can to prevent it ever happening again.”
Carrboro Mayor Damon Seils is also a frequent cyclist. He said Carrboro would be open to passing its own dooring ordinance as well.
“I think any kind of legislative approach or infrastructure approach we can take to improving the safety of our roadways for all users, especially pedestrians and cyclists, I’m open to considering and would love to advance.”
According to Chapel Hill town staff, the ordinance could come to council for a vote in May.
Photo via Mark Losey/Town of Chapel Hill.
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A dooring ordinance is an after the tragedy solution. It might help but what really helps is public education about the Dutch open or whatever it is called. If you reach for the door with the hand furthest away, it twists your body and reminds you to look. Simple and effective but something that requires constant reminders. Signage along streets that have bike traffic would go a long way to improving safety for cyclists.
A Complete bike lane system would also help greatly with bike safety in our community. I’d include especially Homestead road, Estes drive, Eubanks Road and Seawall School Road
IMHO, bikes should be held to the same standards as cars on our roads. Insured, inspected, licensed, and same traffic laws.
It won’t change anything and is designed to give Chapel Hill governance another way to make money to spend on endless welfare projects. Wake up. They just don’t care.
A helmet law in addition might have saved this person’s life…