The death of a cyclist in Melbourne after he was car-doored was a "wicked and shocking waste" that could easily have been avoided, according to the mother of a man killed in a similar incident in 2010.

A 25-year-old Italian man was riding south on Sydney Road in Brunswick on Friday when a person in a parked car opened their door, knocking him onto the road.

The cyclist was then struck by a passing truck and died at the scene, police said.

Sydney Road is a notorious stretch of road for cyclists, who must navigate around cars, trams and pedestrians.

It has one of the highest accident rates for cyclists in the state.

Nicky Martin campaigns on cycling and road safety issues after her son, James Cross, was killed in a dooring accident in 2010.

She called the latest death on Sydney Road a "wicked, shocking waste".

Ms Martin warned cyclists to be "very alert" and said pedestrians should "take off those ear buds" and watch what was happening around them.

She also said car drivers should open their doors with their left hand.

"It's called 'lead with your left', which makes you turn just enough to see what's coming behind you," she told 774 ABC Melbourne.

"Please people, just think about it and make sure that you do these very simple things.

"I just can't believe another young man in the prime of his life is gone. What a wicked, shocking waste."

Death a preventable tragedy, MP says

A man visiting from the Gold Coast told 774 ABC Melbourne he thought the city was a "very dangerous place".

He said he had nearly been knocked over a half a dozen times walking in the CBD over the course of a couple of days.

Sydney Road has one of the highest accident rates for cyclists in Victoria. ( Supplied: Bicycle Network Victoria )

Jane Garrett, the MP for Brunswick where the man died and the Minister for Consumer Affairs, called the man's death a "preventable tragedy".

She acknowledged there was an attitude problem regarding cyclists and was calling together cycling groups, Vic Roads and traders in the Sydney Road area to seek a solution.

She called the busy shopping strip, which is one of the longest in Australia, the "epicentre of the problem".

"It's not just about infrastructure and laws, it is about attitude and it is about sharing road space," she said.

"Bicycle riders, and cars and public transport users all have a role in being responsible about that."

The State Government recently announced a $1.6 million package to make cycling and walking safer.

The package includes banning right turns at 17 intersections and increasing off-street parking to reduce the number of doorings.