> (French motorists don't check where they swing their doors)
I don't understand how this happens. I haven't lived in other countries, but don't they bump into pedestrians or other cars if they open the door without looking?
This is incredibly common throughout the world. It is so common in fact, people have come up with a name for a "special" way to open doors to prevent this, the dutch reach.
The dutch reach is just opening your door with the opposite hand you normally would, which forces you to rotate your body and look back where a cyclist would be coming from.
In the US getting hit with a car door from someone not paying attention is appropriately called "getting doored" and is pretty far up there in things to look out for when biking!
I heard about the Dutch reach, and was just as surprised for the same reason: although I'm Dutch myself, it's not just cyclists I'm watching out for when getting out of a car, so it doesn't feel like the reason for doing the Dutch reach are specific to the Netherlands...
I also drive in France. My experience is that French drivers only look through their front window. Mirrors, other windows, they seem to be there just for export ;) Also, cars are generally way more dented than back home.
I've had accidents, and many more near-accidents because of this. Indeed, I'd never even considered that people actually just swinging open their doors onto bike lanes was a thing to watch out for until I moved to France.
Must say Paris is better (less pressed) than Lyon (where I lived), and therefore a calmer ride.
I don't understand how this happens. I haven't lived in other countries, but don't they bump into pedestrians or other cars if they open the door without looking?