CYCLISTS in Brimbank are sick of having to ride in fear of smashing into open car doors.
They are urging fellow riders to support a Greens proposal for a ‘dooring’ law to increase penalties for offenders.
Greens MP Greg Barber introduced a bill into Parliament in February and is calling on riders who have been in accidents or experienced a near miss with open car doors to make a submission to a parliamentary inquiry.
Under the bill, motorists could face fines of up to $1122 and lose three demerit points.
Mr Barber said the penalty for ‘dooring’ was “ridiculously low”.
“Nearly every cyclist has a horror story about someone opening a car door in their path.
“It can be a frightening experience and, unfortunately for those who collide, it can result in serious injury or even death.”
The Age reported in March that Melbourne cyclist Andrew Tivendale spent two months in a coma after a driver opened her car door on him in East Brunswick last year, forcing him under a passing car.
The driver responsible was fined $122.
Brimbank Bicycle Users Group president Ferdi Saliba said members would welcome harsher penalties.
“Most of the riders in our group have been very close to being doored and I have heard of quite a few who have been seriously injured,” he said.
“People are careful about cars passing by, but they don’t always think there’s a possibility a cyclist could be riding by.”
Details: vicmps.greens.org.au/dooring
