The Legal Definition of "Dooring"

There is no precise legal definition of "dooring". Both the Illinois Motor Vehicle Code and the Chicago Municipal Code, address the illegality of not impeding traffic with a car door, but neither address the act of a bicyclist actually impacting a vehicle door due to a negligent motorist. Section 11-1407 of the Illinois Rules of the Road and the Chicago Municipal Code provide as follows:

No person shall open the door of a vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.

However, neither law provides a legal definition of the act of "dooring" itself. ILBicycleLaw.com proposes the following legal definition of "dooring." 

dooring. (Verb) doored. (Past Tense) doorings. (Plural)
The act of opening the door of a motor vehicle into the path of a bicyclist and causing a collision. Examples: "The bicyclist was a victim of a dooring while riding down the bike lane." "Several bicyclists were victims of doorings while riding on the same bike lane."

If you have any questions regarding this post or an issue involving Illinois personal injury law, please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorney Mike Keating at 312-208-7702 or MKeating@KeatingLegal.com . All initial consultations are confidential and free.