Organization Combats Bike vs. Car Door Accidents in Lincoln Square

When bikers collide with the doors of parked cars, it can cause serious injury to the bikers, and have legal implications for the owner of the car. 

That’s why an organization called LOOK Chicago is aiming to build awareness around “dooring” with both drivers and bikers. 

With 13 incidents reported in Lincoln Square between 2009 and Sept. 2012, the organization is hosting a safety blitz in the neighborhood Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. 

Passers by will see LOOK Chicago volunteers handing out fliers and possibly hosting a gathering at Heuttenbar. Anyone that wants to join can meet at the Abraham Lincoln Statue at Lincoln and Western Avenues.

The safety event comes just weeks after Lake View Patch on Southport Avenue.

In April of 2010, Bridgid Mullin was riding near Southport and Newport avenues when a woman in a parked car swung her door open and hit the biker. 

Court documents say Mullin had a broken collar bone and suffered permanent nerve damage to her left arm. Despite treatment and care from a team of doctors, she continues to experience pain in her elbow, limitations in arm movement, and decreased strength in her hand.

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Bike lanes were already painted on Southport in 2010, but they didn't prevent the dooring. Mullen was biking to work when the accident happened, and the driver admitted to not looking behind her to check for bikers before opening her door, court documents reveal. 

It’s something that happens more often than most bikers realize. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety, 557 doorings were reported in Chicago from the beginning of 2009 through Sept. 7, 2012, WBEZ reports. 

A majority of those doorings happen on the North Side, with the most common areas being on diagonal streets like Lincoln Avenue and Clark Street, WBEZ found. 

In Lincoln Square alone, there were almost 13 incidents during the period studied, with clear hot spots like Lincoln and Damen avenues.

Dooring is largely preventable with proper precautions like checking for bikers before opening car doors and cycling 3 feet from parked cars when possible.

Check out LOOK Chicago more prevention tips.