Imagine the surprise of the motorist at a collision I once investigated. He parked at the side of the road, opened his door and a passing car tried to tear it off.

It's a good thing he didn't step out while he opened it.

What went wrong here? The motorist didn't look first or didn't see what was overtaking him. He probably felt safe in the fact that he had stopped close to the curb and was out of harm's way.

In the case of a driver or front-seat passenger, there is a mirror to help see if anything is overtaking the vehicle before you open the door. A quick shoulder check is........

© Castanet