The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) and Department of Transportation (DOT) teamed up with rock royalty, Chubby Checker to create a catchy public service announcement designed to save lives by raising awareness of the deadly practice of “dooring” – opening a car door without first checking to see if a bicyclist is approaching. The PSA features the 1961 hit song, “Let’s Twist Again.”
The PSA points out the fast, easy movement people can do to ensure they have a good view of oncoming cyclists – which involves using the far hand to reach for the door handle, forcing passengers and drivers to automatically turn and look back.
“This simple little upper-body swivel, which we’re calling the ‘New York Twist,’ can mean the difference between a safe vehicle exit and one that can injure or even kill a passing bicyclist,” said TLC Commissioner David Do.
The PSA comes as the growth in cycling continues to soar, with the number of New Yorkers who bike to work more than doubling from 2011 to 2021. Nine cyclists were killed in NYC due to dooring between 2017 and 2021 alone.
Source: NYC TLC