If you drive or travel as a passenger in a car, it’s important you look before opening the door. Your parents probably taught you this as a child, but they likely also kept child locks on because they didn’t fully trust you yet.
Your parents would have been worried about you stepping into the path of oncoming traffic and getting run down. What they might not have considered is that looking before opening the door can also prevent you from injuring others, in particular, those on a bicycle.
If you open your door into the path of someone riding a bicycle, there are two possible outcomes. The best-case scenario is that they swerve around it or stop before reaching it. The worst case is they run into it and are thrown off into the path of another vehicle and crushed. A range of injury-inducing scenarios lie in between, and it’s possible that you might get injured, too.
The Dutch Reach
The Dutch Reach is a way to avoid such scenarios. It’s simple to do, and many driving schools now teach it, but much of the population is still unaware of it.
People typically open the door with the hand nearest the door. To perform the Dutch Reach, use the other hand – the one furthest from the door. Doing this forces you to rotate your body, so instead of having to remember to glance in the mirror to check for cyclists, you now have your head turned toward the rear of the vehicle, enabling you to see more easily. You will still need to take that moment to check before pulling on the door handle, but it’s much safer for all concerned and can avoid a situation where cyclists are left to seek compensation for their injuries.
