The Victoria Police Department has issued a ticket for a ‘dooring’ incident that has sent a cyclist to hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
According to a report sent out by VicPD, the incident took place at the intersection of Oak Bay Avenue and Fell Street just after 12 p.m. on Nov. 25.
Police say that officers were called to the scene for a report that a cyclist on an e-bike had been knocked from her bicycle when a parked driver opened their vehicle door.
The cyclist was wearing a helmet, police say, but the impact was significant enough that she was taken to hospital by BC Emergency Health Services.
Paramedics, who treated the woman on the e-bike at the scene of the incident, say she suffered non-life-threatening injuries. She remains in hospital at this point in time.
Officers say that a $368 fine was issued to the driver under B.C.’s new “dooring” legislation.
The new legislation was announced back in July of this year and came into effect on Sept. 21, 2020.
The previous fine for dooring was $81 total.
The government said the higher fines, along with a public education and an awareness campaign, is intended to improve safety for cyclists.
Dooring occurs when a driver or passenger opens a car door unsafely into the path of oncoming traffic, resulting in a collision or swerving.
Police add that “dooring can lead to serious injuries or even death, particularly for cyclists.”
Graham Cox
