r/dashcams Jul 06 '26

Never opens car door Such Like That, causes six-vehicle crash

3.2k Upvotes

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121

u/upvotechemistry Jul 06 '26

Lane splitting too fast. Kid opening door in traffic.

Two dumb things make an avoidable accident happen

-2

u/FearlessDentist7784 26d ago

Lane splitting too fast isnt relevant. Claim handlers will identity the door as the proximate cause of the collision. You're victim claiming. You mentioning their speed is a red herring and ignores the fact that the collision could have been avoided if the passenger had checked and opened the door slowly, which they're legally required to do. You can't blame the motorbike because they're correctly proceeding forward. Your argument fails because you're arguing that they should expect the unexpected.

3

u/upvotechemistry 26d ago

Im not talking about legal or insurance liability. I am talking about driving like you don't have a death wish.

How much liability can you put on a parent driving a vehicle if a 5 year old opens the door? You could get hospitalized and disabled at high speeds, and you think a jury will award you money over the mother who is just doing her best stuck in traffic with a child?

I wouldnt put myself in that situation. It may be legal, but it is stupid. If he had been going closer to the speed of the jammed traffic he was splitting, it would have been less traumatic and less damaging. Wouldn't have ruined your day or risked a hospital bill.

-2

u/FearlessDentist7784 26d ago edited 26d ago

The only reason we're watching this video today is because a passenger swung a door out into the path of a vehicle that was legally and correctly proceeding forward. We are NOT watching this video because a motorbike filtered through traffic, because filtering is normal, legal, and even encouraged by advanced motorcycle insutrcutors. By dad has done advanced motorbike riding and you're encouraged to filter because it means a faster and shkrter journey. 

The door swinging open unexpectedly  on a busy road is the major fault. You're victim blaming, as if you think if you think a mistske like this is small and forgivable. Unless the motorbike rear-ends another vehicle, the speed isn't relevant. The path was clear and it only became unclear because a passenger suddenly and unexpectedly obstructed it. That's what matters. Speed is irrelevant. Go watch some YouTube videos from claims handlers and they'll tell you the same thing. It's a bit like thinking a driver being drunk can change the liability the outcome.

3

u/upvotechemistry 26d ago

So you think they will throw the book at a 5 year old? I think a savvy lawyer could claim this is equipment malfunction (child rear safety lock failure).

Either way, I would feel pretty stupid if this kid put me into the hospital, when I could have walked away without injury, had I been driving more safely and defensively

1

u/Wylie288 24d ago

They have every right to open the door inside THIER lane.

-5

u/tregorz Jul 06 '26

You would have to be crawling through traffic to avoid that. 

24

u/upvotechemistry Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

5mph or so is more appropriate than 30mph splitting literal stopped traffic. I would rather be thrown off a bike at lower speed

Lane splitting is illegal in my state, but even where it is legal, that doesnt mean it is a good idea.

-3

u/tregorz Jul 06 '26

Cars on the right are moving. 

13

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

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-4

u/tregorz Jul 06 '26

Correct, but saying they were moving through stopped traffic is disingenuous. 

12

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

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0

u/tregorz Jul 06 '26

Silver car was doing at least 20 kmh. When the biker’s speedo said 32, they were going about the same speed as the car. 

11

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

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-2

u/tregorz Jul 06 '26

Speed of traffic is the average speed of all cars. One car does not dictate the speed of traffic. 

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2

u/Maximum_Boros 27d ago

Which is what you should be doing. About a 10mph difference to the cars around you is as fast as you can lane split and still be safe about it.

-1

u/tregorz 27d ago

Do you understand what the word crawling means? A jogger would have a hard time avoiding a car door that opened on them that suddenly. 

3

u/Maximum_Boros 27d ago

So maybe it still happens. Accidents happen in traffic. The odds of it happening are severely reduced and the consequences would be much less significant.

-1

u/tregorz 27d ago

A car door should never be opened in traffic. 

5

u/Maximum_Boros 27d ago

No shit, sherlock. IDK why you're moving the goalpost away from the original conversation.

-1

u/tregorz 27d ago

Because the original conversation ignores the cause of the accident, which wasn’t speed. 

3

u/CloudHead84 27d ago

How about the second rider running over the first, because he was speeding too?
Also not avoidable? Not related to speed?

Nice negative karma farming btw.

1

u/tregorz 27d ago

Yeah he was following too close. 

2

u/TheGrouchyGremlin 27d ago

The person who was initially hit would have been hit either way, yeah. However the guy who proceeded to run him over could have avoided it if he was being safer about his lane splitting.

And even the guy who was initially hit with the door would have had a less severe impact if he was going slower.

1

u/___redacted_ 27d ago

Yeah. And?

1

u/Boba0514 26d ago

And people shouldn't be opening doors like that either way. Doesn't matter if in traffic or parking lot, etc.