State Dept. of Transportation to track dooring accidents

Bicyclists beware. Incidents of “dooring” have been on the rise in Illinois, so much so that the state now wants to know more about it.

Yesterday, Governor Pat Quinn revealed that the state would begin tracking so-called dooring accidents — when a cyclist crashes into an open car door. The data from the accidents will be aggregated and examined by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Police departments throughout the state are now learning how to record these dangerous crashes by the IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety.

Ultimately, Quinn says that he wants the streets to be secure for cyclists and drivers alike. Quinn hopes the data will help the IDOT establish what street improvements, if any, are necessary and whether a campaign that educates the public about these accidents would be needed.

The Chicago Police Department and several suburban police forces have already been recording dooring incidents. Their statistics from 2010 to the present will be incorporated into the IDOT’s data.

Prior to this announcement, the IDOT did not include dooring incidents in its annual report because a moving automobile is not involved during the collision.