Today, Chicago Tribune reported on Active Transportation Alliance's campaign to have Illinois Department of Transportation record doorings. We asked IDOT why their crash data doesn't include doorings. Their reponse, people aren't requesting that we track those crashes. We've asked and now we're asking again.
It is a crime in Illinois to open a car door into traffic when it isn't safe to do so. As we all know, way too many doorings result because of people not looking before opening their vehicle doors.
At our 2010 Annual Member Meeting we conducted a survey asking how many attendees had been doored. A majority of the bicyclists in the room had been doored. But these incidents will not be found anywhere in IDOT's data.
Please contact IDOT and tell them to count doorings as crashes. Call the Divison of Traffic Safety (217) 782-4972 or write a letter to Division of Traffic Safety, Illinois Department of Transportation, 2300 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL 62764.