Picture: Ten News

Every year across Australia, thousands of cyclists are injured. The most common type of crash to cause injury is ‘dooring’, an instance in which the motorist opens the car door and the cyclist crashes into it.

Dooring has been responsible for a large number of cyclists injuries, and in 2010, the first recorded death by dooring. Student and musician James Cross was on his way to University when the driver of a BMW opened her door 12 centimetres. James crashed into it, and was propelled under the wheels of a passing truck, and killed.

James death has become a rallying point for change. Experts are calling for an overhaul of driver behaviour; they claim the roads are changing yet driver attitude is not. Cycling bodies however are pushing for a statutory one metre distance between cars and bikes, and penalties and fines for motorists involved in doorings.

There are more cyclists on the road than ever before, and those numbers are simply increasing. What can be done to increase motorist awareness of this typoe of accident? Should cyclists have more room and avoid parked cars altogether? Head to our forums to have your say.

More info on this story is available at the following sites:

Bicycle Info for NSW
http://www.bicycleinfo.nsw.gov.au/

Austcycle: bike training for all Australians
http://www.austcycle.com.au/

Bicycle Victoria
http://www.bv.com.au/

The Amy Gillette Foundation: Safe together
http://www.amygillett.org.au/

Teenagers Road Action Group
http://www.trag-vic.org/

VicRoads
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/

TAC Road Safety
http://www.tacsafety.com.au/jsp/homepage/home.jsp

RTA NSW
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/