Runner v Opening Car Door

galwayspur

I was out running last Monday and was coming to the end of my run, around 800m to go I picked up the pace and was feeling good when I was stopped suddenly in my tracks by a driver opening their car door. I couldn't avoid the collision and the end of the door hit me in the middle of my chest with the top 'pointed' end of the door grazing me and narrowly avoided my face, and went into my neck.

I was wearing full high viz jacket and running on the path along a well lit town center road, the car was parked beside footpath on double yellows opposite a busy junction. The driver got a shock at the time too, and she was nice enough about it, offering to get me water etc. saying she had checked her mirror. I couldn't speak for what felt like a good minute or so, and initially was ready to give out yards to her but calmed during my spell doubled over trying to catch my breath. I showed her my neck and chest by pulling down top asking to see if I was cut as it felt like it was, and she could see the graze. I actually asked was her car ok, and then like an eejit tried to run off and made it about 100m slowly before slowing to a walk by which time she had gone.

Have had bad pain across my right shoulder since, can't lie on it at night and mobility isn't great but is improving slightly over the past couple of days. Don't feel like there's any reason to warrant an x-ray, but reckon it might curtail running over Christmas

Not looking to pursue it or anything, just wondering if any others have had similar experience? I know it's a common thing for cyclists which often ends terribly. Will look out for drivers now, and am pretty observant in general, this time I couldn't move to get out the way. Ouch.

El CabaIIo

Have had very close calls getting doored on the bike. Running wise, the closest I've had to that was getting hit by a car before the Charleville half last year. I was warming up and a guy was stopped in the middle of the main road so went around the back of him when he decided to shove it into reverse and backed straight into me out of nowhere. He wasn't quite as nice as the woman you mentioned as he just drove away quickly and he definetely knew as it made a fair bang when he hit me and people were roaring at him going down the road.

I just take the approach of "don't trust anyone or try to predict what they will do" now whether I'm running, cycling or driving heavy machinery. I'll cross over to the otherside of the road if I hear a car coming towards me, will cycle in the middle of the lane on a bendy road so I don't get a close pass with oncoming traffic and give a wide berth to every car to avoid getting doored. Cars have a steel cage, I've a ribcage.

MY BAD

The owner of the car is responsible.

Skatedude

Got my nose and face badly scratched and bleeding when i was running pass a van parked on the footpath over double yellow lines when the passenger door was opened quickly . guy was apologetic and hopefully he learned to check properly in future . took about 2 weeks to heal up.

average_runner

Never got taken out by a car while running, but twice by a bike.

Once bike flew around the corner while on a footpath and straight into me and the other time the bike went through a red light and hit me but i had adjusted in time to avoid a direct hit.

Both times the cyclists were in more shock than me.

Seve OB

you mention hi vis
they are not any good unless there is light being shone at them

so in this instance, pointless.


however, yer one was a div opening the door like that

average_runner

Seve OB wrote: »

you mention hi vis
they are not any good unless there is light being shone at them

so in this instance, pointless.


however, yer one was a div opening the door like that

High Viz works grand on a street with street lighting, which the poster had.

Slow_Runner

From the Rules of the Road:

• Before opening any doors, check for other road users nearby, in particular motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians. 
• Open your doors only when you need to and keep them open only for as long as necessary. 
• Get out of your vehicle only when it is safe and you and your passengers are not blocking other road users. 

It's the responsibility of the person in the car to ensure that it is safe to do so, however like everything - always assume people are idiots and prepare for them to act like like idiots.

SligoBrewer

average_runner wrote: »

High Viz works grand on a street with street lighting, which the poster had.

Doesn't matter if the OP was wearing hivis or not, and this instance goes to the show the ineffectiveness of hivis. The cause of the accident was the driver not paying attention and was going to happen even if OP was running in the nip or dressed like a giant traffic cone.

walshb

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »

The owner of the car is responsible.

No she's not....

You are in charge of your safety at times.....

Unless a thorough investigation is taken out then you cannot blame the driver here....

adrian522

The person opening the car door is 100% responsible, whether they are the driver/owner or whatever is irrelevant. Illegaly parked, swinging door open without looking, but yeah lets blame the victim here.

El CabaIIo

walshb wrote: »

No she's not....

You are in charge of your safety at times.....

Unless a thorough investigation is taken out then you cannot blame the driver here....

walshb

adrian522 wrote: »

The person opening the car door is 100% responsible, whether they are the driver/owner or whatever is irrelevant. Illegaly parked, swinging door open without looking, but yeah lets blame the victim here.

Yes, because the "victim" has no responsibility for themselves..?

Did the driver swing door open without looking? Did you interview her or something......?

" saying she had checked her mirror." So, maybe she did look.....huh?

Maybe she did look, and said runner was not as visible as they should have been.

Like the ads on tv ask, when overtaking leave room for the unexpected. Simple as......if you don't , then there is a chance that an accident occurs...

Anyway, before being so certain here one should hear both sides of the story, and even after that, it doesn't change the fact that not leaving room as you ruin past a parked car can lead to accidents for yourself...

Just me: But if I was running I would be absolutely thinking of things like running close to parked cars....I would be absolutely leaving myself enough room, and if I didn't, it's my fault. That is called taking responsibility.

walshb

El CabaIIo wrote: »

Nothing to do with bait......

I just disagree with this oh so certain blaming the driver....

walshb

BTW, OP; I hope you have recovered....my opinion is nothing personal.

MY BAD

walshb wrote: »

No she's not....

You are in charge of your safety at times.....

Unless a thorough investigation is taken out then you cannot blame the driver here....

If it went to court the owner of the car or person who the car is insured to would pay 99% of the time in an accident like mentioned above. It should go without saying particularly on a runners forum not to put yourself in danger! You can be dead right in terms of the law but thats no good to you or your family if you're six feet under.

walshb

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »

It should go without saying particularly on a runners forum not to put yourself in danger! You can be dead right in terms of the law but thats no good to you or your family if you're six feet under.

Exactly my thinking.....

But before these payouts there should be a thorough investigation....

El CabaIIo

walshb wrote: »

Yes, because the "victim" has no responsibility for themselves..?

Did the driver swing door open without looking? Did you interview her or something......?

" saying she had checked her mirror." So, maybe she did look.....huh?

Maybe she did look, and said runner was not as visible as they should have been.

Like the ads on tv ask, when overtaking leave room for the unexpected. Simple as......if you don't , then there is a chance that an accident occurs...

Anyway, before being so certain here one should hear both sides of the story, and even after that, it doesn't change the fact that not leaving room as you ruin past a parked car can lead to accidents for yourself...

Just me: But if I was running I would be absolutely thinking of things like running close to parked cars....I would be absolutely leaving myself enough room, and if I didn't, it's my fault. That is called taking responsibility.

robinph

The person getting out of the car is the one who is blocking the passage of the runner without checking the way is clear for them to do so first, they are 100% at fault.

Yes, there are things that you can do as a pedestrian to try and minimise the risk of such things happening, but that doesn't take any responsibility for the incident away from the person opening the car door for not checking properly or opening the door more cautiously.

walshb

robinph wrote: »

The person getting out of the car is the one who is blocking the passage of the runner without checking the way is clear for them to do so first, they are 100% at fault.

.

You clearly didn't read the OP

The lady said she did check.....

So, let's say a person in dark clothing (or not lit up enough) not lit up ran past, would the diver(s) still be in the wrong?

average_runner

SligoBrewer wrote: »

Doesn't matter if the OP was wearing hivis or not, and this instance goes to the show the ineffectiveness of hivis. The cause of the accident was the driver not paying attention and was going to happen even if OP was running in the nip or dressed like a giant traffic cone.

Well everything is ineffective if the person doesn't look even a big sign flashing in red lights!!!!

MY BAD

walshb wrote: »

You clearly didn't read the OP

The lady said she did check.....

So, let's say a person in dark clothing (or not lit up enough) not lit up ran past, would the diver(s) still be in the wrong?

In terms of the law, yes.

average_runner

walshb wrote: »

You clearly didn't read the OP

The lady said she did check.....

So, let's say a person in dark clothing (or not lit up enough) not lit up ran past, would the diver(s) still be in the wrong?

But its up to the driver and the person exiting to take due care. This wasn't done as it was a double yellow line and secondly, the person of the car didn't spot the runner who was in a high viz on a well lit up street. You shouldn't exit the car until you know its safe.

Now we all make mistakes and that's life.

robinph

walshb wrote: »

You clearly didn't read the OP

The lady said she did check.....

Yes, because they opened the door into the path of a pedestrian therefore proving that they didn't check properly.

They could have opened the door more slowly, opened it part way and had a better look, not parked on double yellows, not opened the door onto a dark footpath, presumably the car was driving along the road a few seconds earlier so they could have paid attention to the fact there was someone running along the path before they parked. It was entirely within the power of the driver to prevent the incident happening, or at least reducing it to the runner having time to hop out of the way.

walshb wrote: »

So, let's say a person in dark clothing (or not lit up enough) not lit up ran past, would the diver(s) still be in the wrong?

There is no requirement for pedestrians to wear hi-viz or lights.

These are things that we do in order to minimise the risks to ourselves, but the lack of using them doesn't take away any responsibility for the actions of the car driver.

Bruthal

average_runner wrote: »

But its up to the driver and the person exiting to take due care. This wasn't done as it was a double yellow line and secondly, the person of the car didn't spot the runner who was in a high viz on a well lit up street. You shouldn't exit the car until you know its safe.

Now we all make mistakes and that's life.

The double yellow probably has little bearing. Presumably the car was still visible. Would we run past it more cautiously if it was parked in a parking spot?

average_runner

Bruthal wrote: »

The double yellow probably has little bearing. Presumably the car was still visible. Would we run past it more cautiously if it was parked in a parking spot?

It means the driver wasn't taking due care, as they shouldn't of parked there.

walshb

robinph wrote: »

There is no requirement for pedestrians to wear hi-viz or lights.

These are things that we do in order to minimise the risks to ourselves, but the lack of using them doesn't take away any responsibility for the actions of the car driver.

So, how would anyone open a door then? Can't open the door because some runner, who has not given themselves safe room, and who is not lit up effectively might just get hit by my opening my door of my stationary vehicle...

Where is the requirement for someone opening a car door to 100 percent make sure someone doesn't run into said door?

It's all about give and take, and common sense...

walshb

average_runner wrote: »

It means the driver wasn't taking due care, as they shouldn't of parked there.

Shouldn't have parked there is a separate issue.....it's still a stationary car, and runners should be aware that they need to be careful whilst running past it...

walshb

blame is not solely on the driver here.....

walshb

Bruthal wrote: »

The double yellow probably has little bearing. Presumably the car was still visible. Would we run past it more cautiously if it was parked in a parking spot?

Or, let's say no door was opened. And he ran into it.....blame the driver here as well?

Give yourself room.....

average_runner

walshb wrote: »

Shouldn't have parked there is a separate issue.....it's still a stationary car, and runners should be aware that they need to be careful whilst running past it...

The runner needs to aware, but the person exiting the car needs to be 100% sure its clear before opening the door