Via DDOT.

Via DDOT.

Getting doored—being hit by the door of a vehicle as someone is exiting—is one of most cyclists’ biggest fears. It is also one of the most difficult road hazards to avoid, since most bike lanes are within the so-called “door zone” and it is hard to predict when people in cars aren’t paying attention.

Although D.C. doesn’t track data by type of crash, in Chicago, nearly 20 percent of all bike crashes were linked to dooring in 2011. And the problem got bad enough in New York City, where seven people died as a result of dooring crashes between 2007 and 2012, that regulators took notice and rolled out decals urging taxi passengers to “LOOK!” for cyclists before exiting.

In 2010, DDOT put out a safety video imploring drivers to wait for cyclists to pass before opening the door, but there hasn’t been much of a focus on the issue here otherwise. Which is why a recent WABA post indicating that the D.C. Taxicab Commission approved a new rule mandating cabs display stickers similar to the ones in New York City drew some excitement from the cycling community.

It turns out that the commission didn’t actually approve a rule mandating the stickers, according to spokesman Neville Waters. But they are still planning to remind passengers to look out for cyclists.

Rather than going through the regulatory process, which could take some time, the commission is planning to use its authority to set the standards for what safety messages taxis must post in their vehicles.

“We are currently revising several notices already in District taxis and will incorporate a bicycle safety message when the new notices are ready for placement in the taxis,” interim chairman Eric Rogers said in an email.

According to Waters, the design is still in the works, but the warning about bikers could be included in a general safety message sticker that also reminds passengers to buckle their seat belts and that smoking isn’t allowed in D.C. cabs.

The timeline for the new stickers is still up in the air, but Waters said they could come within the next month and a half.

Filed Under: bicycles, bike stickers, ddot, dooring, waba,