Is it legal to open a car door in traffic?
You’re a passenger in a car and the driver stops at a red light at an intersection. You decide to get out of the vehicle and walk to the footpath. Have you broken the law?
Although there’s no specific law banning passengers from leaving a car stopped at traffic lights, the Australian Road Rules state that a person must not cause a hazard by opening a vehicle door or getting out of a vehicle.
Opening the door on the passenger side could be a hazard to cyclists, while an open door on the driver’s side could hit a motorcyclist lane filtering between cars – filtering is legal in South Australia under certain conditions.
If there’s another lane on the passenger side, this adds an extra layer of danger, because there could be vehicles approaching the intersection in that lane.
You might also be in trouble under Australian Road Rule 234, which says a pedestrian must not cross a road, or part of a road, within 20m of a pedestrian crossing.
If the intersection has a pedestrian crossing, then walking directly from the car to the footpath is technically breaking this rule.
Penalties
If a driver causes a hazard getting in or out of a vehicle (opening door), it could cost them $227 plus $105 Victims of Crime levy and three demerit points.
Passenger penalties depend on the circumstances.
Crossing a road within 20m of a crossing – $61 plus $105 Victims of Crime levy.
Safety first
Of course, it’s best for the driver to pull over where it’s safe and legal to do so, before anyone leaves the vehicle.
A driver getting out of a parked car should not rely solely on the side mirror when opening the door, because the convex design of mirror glass makes objects look more distant than they are – as the movie Jurassic Park demonstrates.
A good practice for the driver and passengers is to open the door with the hand furthest from it, which forces you to fully turn around to spot any approaching bikes, other road users or pedestrians. This door-opening technique is known as the ‘Dutch reach.’