Recently I was cycling down the High Street, travelling at about 15 mph, when a driver opened their door in front of me. Luckily the oncoming car on the road opposite had passed just in time to let me pull out and avoid hitting the driver or the door. It caused a huge spike in my heart rate. This has not happened to me for a long while.

This is known as 'Dooring' and has resulted in injury or death. It is usually caused by the driver not looking behind properly before opening their door.

One way to limt this is to use a method of opening the door called 'The Dutch Reach' - moref info at https://www.dutchreach.

We have many cyclists throughout Dunpender and beyond. It's a fabulous way of seeing the area. Unfortunately some drivers, who are not cyclists, do not understand the behaviour of cyclists on the road. A useful recent article may help understanding and keep us all safe on the road - "The things cyclists do that some drivers will probably never understand"

So, a wee bit of understanding may go a long way.

I have fitted cameras front and rear on my bike to record incidents (as well as the beauty I see while riding. This has resulted in several incidents being reported. I don't enjoy this process, but if it helps to keep the roads safer it is worth it.

Alastair