Affordable Smart Door Safety Lock for Preventing Dooring Accidents

Abstract

Dooring accidents, caused by the sudden opening of doors into the path of vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians, represent a serious yet often overlooked safety issue in urban environments. This paper presents the design and development of an affordable smart door safety lock system aimed at preventing such accidents through intelligent sensing and automated control. The proposed system employs low-cost ultrasonic sensors to detect approaching objects near the door area and provides real-time visual and auditory alerts to warn users of potential hazards. An Arduino-based embedded control unit processes sensor data and controls warning indicators as well as a solenoid-based locking mechanism through a relay module. In critical situations, the system temporarily restricts door operation to avoid collisions. The design emphasizes affordability, low power consumption, and ease of installation, making it suitable for vehicles, residential doors, and public transportation systems. The proposed solution demonstrates that effective safety automation can be implemented using cost-efficient components, thereby enhancing user awareness, reducing dooring accidents, and contributing to safer urban mobility.