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Chicago ‘Dooring’ Reports Saw Steep Increase in 2015, Data Shows

Crash data for 2015 released this week by the Illinois Department of Transportation shows a steep increase in the number of reported “doorings” in Chicago – collisions that occur when the door of a parked vehicle is opened directly in the path of an oncoming cyclist.

In 2014, there were 202 reports of dooring incidents. That figure rose to 302 in 2015, according IDOT.

The department has been collecting data on doorings in Chicago since 2011, and says that the number of reported incidents had been decreasing steadily – until 2015.

For the full article go here.

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If Uber and Lyft see big increases in their insurance costs due to payouts for crashes, this could provide an incentive for them to educate drivers.

Don't Uber & Lyft classify drivers as independent contractors in order to avoid paying insurance expenses?  I bet most U&L drivers don't carry auto insurance for a business, so their personal insurance company could deny a claim if the damage was caused by a paying customer.

I would love for a city/state (it won't be this one because of Rahm) to strictly regulate Uber, Lyft, and other professional ride companies.

I think a window sticker requirement wouldn't go through Uber or Lyft; it would just be a city ordinance requiring stickers in any "for hire" cars or however the city defines taxi and taxi-style operations.

I'm assuming that the airport decal is a city requirement, not something Uber or Lyft tells its drivers to do.

City Ordinance Separates TNP's from all other for-hire/professional drivers so requiring stickers would have to be exclusively directed at Uber and Lyft. 

Would be nothing to prevent the city from doing so, right?

Well, Uber considers FOUR stickers a pretty heavy lift according to this: http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/alderman-wants-uber-lyft-vehic...

These companies have gotten away with being pretty unregulated since they showed up and show no intention of playing by any well-intentioned rule that would undercut their bottom dollar. And as long as certain demographics are unwilling to demand these things before enjoying private transportation as opposed to funding better public transit as well as folks without good wages needing to supplement their income somehow, this so-called "sharing" economy isn't going to give a shit about the betterment of all. 

Just wait until one of them kills a pedestrian downtown and you'll see their true colors.

Chicago Ordinance gives the city a wide berth with Taxis and other professional drivers, with TNP's the regulation is very narrow. I think there's a perception (which is based on reality) that any capitulation to city regulations would open the door to what's seen as draconian regulation from the city. While there's totally an argument to be made about regulations hurting UBER/Lyft bottom lines, city regulations (especially in Chicago) tend to discourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Look at food trucks and pedicabs, they've been regulated out of viability. On the other hand, the relative safety of the Taxis in Chicago (seriously of 12,000 drivers, most incidents are from about 150-200) is due to the tight regulation that Chicago puts on its vehicles and drivers (please do not think I think that cab drivers don't take huge risks, I'm just relaying what I know about the stats on their regulation and how it keeps the drivers in some kind of check.) 

 

"...the relative safety of the Taxis in Chicago (seriously of 12,000 drivers, most incidents are from about 150-200) is due to the tight regulation that Chicago puts on its vehicles and drivers..."

How about just a little of this regulation being applied to ride share drivers and vehicles? The nice thing about taxis being so regulated is that when I see a taxi parked illegally in the bike lane or driving recklessly I can get a medallion number and report them to 311 (futile as it seems at times).

Every day I see ride shares stopped and/or parked in bike lanes, making ill advised and/or illegal U-turns, and generally driving recklessly. Maybe if the drivers know they can be easily reported for their actions (with real consequences besides the exchange of a few F-bombs) then maybe they won't be so quick to drive however they please.

Yes. This is a frustrating issue, IMO.

My understanding is that Uber and Lyft provide full coverage (I believe $1 million is the standard) while the driver has an active fare, but no coverage otherwise; the gray area is whether driving to pick up a fare constitutes having an active fare, and thus under their coverage.

Most (all?) insurance companies will not cover you if you get in an accident while using your vehicle in a professional capacity but do not have professional coverage, they may even drop your coverage if they find out you are using your vehicle in that capacity and do not tell them.

That's about right.

I thankfully have never been doored in the past three years I've been riding a bike in this town. Had maybe one or two close calls, but I'm pretty vigilant. If I see a car with blinkers, brake lights, etc., I scootch over to the left if possible; otherwise I slow to a crawl to quadruple-check. Did see one guy about a year ago almost get doored on the passenger side at Clark and Fullerton when he was about to not stop at a red light. But other than that, I've not seen any incidents myself.

One thing to remember: this data is from a 2015 study. 2017 is almost 1/3 over. That's....a long time that has passed since.

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