A cyclist rides in a bike lane along Johnson Street in Victoria, well separated from vehicles. Photograph By DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST
The B.C. government will consider raising fines for drivers who 鈥渄oor鈥� cyclists and setting a safe passing distance as ways to improve road safety.
Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said her ministry is keeping an eye on other jurisdictions to see how well such regulations work there.
鈥淲e鈥檒l monitor what they鈥檙e doing, see how effective it is,鈥� she said, during a debate of her ministry鈥檚 budget, in response to a question from North Vancouver-Seymour Liberal MLA Jane Thornthwaite.
Trevena said any changes would occur in co-ordination with the Ministry of the Solicitor General and police.
鈥淒ooring鈥� occurs when someone in a parked vehicle opens their door into the path of a cyclist.
In Ontario, drivers face a $365 fine plus three demerit points for dooring a cyclist. They must also leave a one-metre distance when passing cyclists or face a $110 fine and two demerit points.
The fine in B.C. for dooring is $81, plus two driver penalty points.
One in 14 B.C. car crashes involving cyclists are the result of dooring, according to the Insurance Corp. of B.C.
ICBC recommends a method called a 鈥淒utch reach,鈥� to avoid dooring.
鈥淭his is easily preventable with a handy trick 鈥� open with your hand furthest from the door. It makes you twist a little in order to reach the door and remind you to do a shoulder check before proceeding,鈥� it said.
ICBC鈥檚 statistics for Greater Victoria show 26 dooring incidents in 2013, 15 in 2012 and 18 in 2011.
Amelia Potvin, executive director of the Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society, said she has had close calls with doors swinging open in her path.
Potvin gives herself at least a one-metre berth when cycling next to cars, which sometimes means 鈥渢aking the lane鈥� 鈥� and the society works to educate people that that鈥檚 OK.
鈥淲e let people know it鈥檚 always good practice to take more of the lane, if you feel that鈥檚 where you need to be, to be out of the door zone,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to realize, when cyclists do that, it鈥檚 not because they鈥檙e trying to slow traffic.鈥�
Victoria personal injury lawyer Darren Williams, principal at League and Williams, said his office handles 250 to 300 motor-vehicle accidents annually, 15 to 20 involving a vehicle and cyclist getting too close.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e the most serious cases, because the victim obviously is more vulnerable,鈥� Williams said.
While there鈥檚 no B.C. law specifying how close a vehicle can get to a cyclist, you still have to drive with due care and attention, he said. In one memorable case, he said a truck driver lost a case against a cyclist he drove close to, without touching.
鈥淭he cyclist was an older man, who was quite experienced. A truck came up beside him and passed quite close. It鈥檚 an interesting case, because the truck didn鈥檛 even touch him, but it came so close that it startled him, causing him to lose his balance. He ran off the road and was quite badly injured,鈥� Williams said.
鈥淭he vehicle doesn鈥檛 even have to touch a rider in order for the vehicle to be responsible.鈥�
On the flip side, many cyclists don鈥檛 realize they鈥檙e prohibited from certain things, like passing a vehicle on the right, Williams said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a responsibility on the cyclists鈥� part as well. In fairness to vehicle drivers, we have to be careful that the one-metre passing rule doesn鈥檛 become some licence for cyclists to be less responsible with their own safety.鈥�
