Ford Introduces Dooring Prevention Feature

The company’s 2024 Mustang models will include an Exit Warning to prevent drivers from hitting cyclists when opening their doors.

1 minute read

January 9, 2024, 11:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Bike Lane

Jorge Salcedo / Shutterstock

Carmaker Ford is introducing a new feature that warns drivers if a ‘vulnerable road user’ is nearby when they try to open their door on its 2024 Ford Mustang models. As Ron Johnson explains in Momentum, the exit warning is designed to prevent drivers from ‘dooring’ cyclists or scooter riders. “Notably, this technology remains active for up to three minutes after the ignition is turned off, continuing to provide alerts through the instrument cluster and touch screen.”

The feature is a great idea. “Why stop there?” Johnson asks. “Dooring incidents, according to one report, represent more than 15 percent of bike collisions and the potential for serious injury or death is high. The question for Ford is if this technology exists, and it can protect vulnerable road users to a certain extent, why not make it standard?”

Johnson reminds readers that, in lieu of an Exit Warning system, drivers can prevent dooring by using the ‘Dutch Reach’ method—opening your car door with the opposite hand, which slows you down and gives you the opportunity to turn and ensure there are no oncoming cyclists.

Friday, January 5, 2024 in Momentum Magazine

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

People sitting and walking in plaza in front of historic Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners

How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

March 28, 2025 - Emily McCoy

Orange and white vintage-look streetcar on Market Street in San Francisco, CA.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024

The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

4 hours ago - San Francisco Chronicle

Green and silver Max BRT bus at station in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding

In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

5 hours ago - Colorado Public Radio

Low view of separated bike lanes in middle of Pennsylvania Avenue with U.S. Capitol dome visible at end of street at night.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy

The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.

6 hours ago - Grist