A Sunderland motorist narrowly avoided serious injury after opening his car door into the path of an oncoming vehicle, ripping the door from its hinges. The incident occurred on Riverbank Road in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and was captured on dashcam by a passing car driven by driving instructor Peter Scott.
The driver of a green Land Rover Freelander opened his door without checking for traffic, and a white Ford Fiesta struck it, bending the door back and tearing it off. The collision happened at 11:38am on August 19. The shocked driver emerged from the vehicle and began collecting his belongings scattered across the road.
Mr Scott, 57, from DrewMatic Driving School, shared the footage online, saying: 'Thankfully nobody was hurt, but this is an example why you should check your mirrors and blind spots before exiting your vehicle, and why you should try to pass a door's width from parked vehicles.'
Rule 239 of the Highway Code states that drivers must ensure they do not hit anyone when opening a door, and should check for cyclists or other traffic. The clip has been viewed over 15,000 times, with viewers divided over who was at fault. One commenter said: 'The f***** idiot in the Freelander is at fault.' Another added: 'This happened to a friend of mine and the plonker opening the door was at fault in both insurance companies' eyes.'
Northumbria Police said they had no record of the incident being reported. A spokesman urged anyone witnessing dangerous driving to report it by calling 101.
