The Dutch Reach is a simple change of habit that can save lives.
Every year, at least 500 people across England, Wales and Scotland are injured when someone opens a car door into their path – but the actual figure is much higher, as many collisions aren’t reported.
The Dutch Reach encourages you to open your car door safely. Instead of using the hand closest to the door, reach across with the hand furthest from the door – your left hand if you’re a driver (in the UK).
By using the Dutch Reach, you naturally turn your body towards the window, helping you spot approaching cyclists and other oncoming traffic. It also allows you to open the door slowly and carefully, rather than swinging it open in one movement.
Save lives and #TeachTheReach
This educational film was produced by Cycling UK in partnership with Uber.
For more information head to: www.cyclinguk.org/dutchreach
This film is freely available in 2D and as a VR film online and to driving schools, police, road safety partnerships, local authorities and schools, colleges and universities. We want to ensure that as many people as possible learn and adopt the Dutch Reach. Please contact campaigns[at]cyclinguk.org for more information and for copies of the film.
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40 Comments
Can you help us #TeachTheReach? Let us know who you teach, and how you do it in the comments ⬇
0:06 do people actualy swing their door open like that????
Hahaha im dutch so i get jt. But why on earth would you give this example with a cabrio… is shows nothing of the idea😅
Next: driving on the dutch side of the road
As a Dutch citizen with a driver licence I got ~2 years ago: Never heard of this. I was learned to look into other mirror before opening the door, that's it.
You guys don't check your mirrors before opening your door…? 🤨
Dutch cyclist mis one important thing on there bikes; Breaks !!
They me have them, but never us on.
Red light ? Is for cars, not bikes !!
Ever been in Amsterdam?🤯
And you still live ?
WAAAUUW !!
Im dutch we dont do that 😂😂😂😂😂
In getting your drivers licence this issue is a killer: doing everything else 100% but forget to look in the mirror and over your shoulder: no drivers licence! Even on a parking lot
Funtastic 😂
I think this method does not work, tllting your body decreases the probability of you looking in the mirror.
Dutch are great inventors!
I am Dutch. Never heard of it.
To be safer don't drive, cycle, or walk. Just stay at home. Ray Bradbury was right.
Also a good tip, straight from The Netherlands: first take off you seatbelt before exiting your car!
Also never heard of this. Look in the side mirror and over your shoulder. And when traffic: bike, car, whatever is coming, i tell my kid, NOT to open his door. NIET de deur open doen.
Works great. Yes, i am Dutch.
This must be the first positive proverb you Brits have made about us Dutch. I am quite moved.
I love how you throw the door open in full force when demonstrating the "wrong" way yet do it like a normal human being when you do your "right"' method. Favoritism much?xD The old way is still the far superior one as you can use your mirror to look behind you. It doesn't require your door to be open for even a tiny centimeter and you still see what's coming. Of course that wouldn't work with your exaggerated way of opening the door full force like you did in the video, only morons do that and you can open the door full force with the dutch reach aswell causing the same accident.
Yes this is a good idea. But it is only half the story, as it does not properly consider effects of wind gusts:
Opening a door on a windy day is always dangerous. Gusts of wind can be very powerful. (And can also affect cyclists, of course.)
One way to reduce the force produced by wind might be to put the window fully down before opening the door so that wind has a lower surface area to operate on.
It also provides more positions in which you can grab the door. Door handles tend to be near the front of the door, thus giving wind more leverage than if the door is being held near its rear.
So here is a possible overall improvement:
1. Wind window fully down. (Enables you to actually look out, ie be less dependent on mirrors, and also hear environmental sounds more easily.)
2. Operate door release with left hand (typically near front of door, affording inadequate leverage to restrain door movement).
3. At same time, hold door towards its rear (easy to do with the window down), for maximum leverage against any wind gusts.
Let's give this a name: The British Reach.
Note: There is a problem with modern cars, which is that powered windows cease to operate when engine is turned off, and may not even operate in accessory position. This is an issue which needs to be addressed by manufacturers as it is not conducive to safety. It would make sense if electric windows can be operated until the car is actually locked.
Something to bear in mind is that not everyone who opens a car door is a driver. If you give someone a lift, you can be caught by surprise. I gave 3 foreigners a lift in Cambridge. In the middle of a 3-lane one-way section, when the traffic-flow momentarily paused, they decided they were close enough to their destination, opened 3 doors simultaneously, and stepped out into the traffic. I was utterly shocked, taken by surprise, still had the car in gear with clutch down. Had I understood their cultural differences, I would have been able to warn them. There are cultures where such behaviour is normal, such as India, parts of Asia, etc.
60 lives per year saved if cyclist done the proper thing to do and LEARN TO DRIVE
The same is true for motorcyclists
‘In partnership with Uber’. Lolz 😂
I cant wait not to use the ahead of my mirrors and my eyes. Would love the old bill to prove I didn't look first or that it wasn't the cyclists fault as they were going too fast.
Why not use the mirror for goodness sake that’s what I do? It not just cyclists but all manner of vehicles – could take your door off otherwise.
Just went and tried this in my vehicle, I can’t see past my B-pillar and being so close to the window once turned any view out of the rear door window is very oblique; literally no visibility. Worst thing is the view in the door mirror down the road has gone, just see the side of the vehicle.
Interesting vehicle used to demonstrate is a cabriolet with no windows up or a B (possibly no C) pillar.
I think the advice is ill-considered and poor from a safety point of view for cyclists etc.
I'm not a driver, but I always do this, but I didn't know there was a name for that.
By the way, I'm curious about how the accident sumulation was made
You're so sweet !! Are you single?
They used a convertible to demonstrate this 😂
I teach Mature Driver Improvement Classes in Orange County, California and I include Dutch Reach in the class.
Dutch never heard of it except maybe a few. And you look in the mirror BEFORE opening the door, because opening the door and THEN looking will cause a reaction as well. Really, let's not tell people to CHECK the BLOODY MIRROR before opening the door. This is really the stupidest advice I have seen.
I was born in the Netherlands
and I live in the Netherlands
and I have my Dutch driving license since 1997.
But I've never heard of the Dutch reach.
That must be a mnemonic for people who can't think logically.
Because in the end it's nothing but logic to look in the side mirror and through the window before you open the door.
And by the way, often if all three mirrors are correctly adjusted, you don't have to look back nine times out of ten.
And especially if you have side mirrors with extra compartments in the mirrors against blind corners.
I'm not going to say I'm the best driver in the world.
But taking part in traffic is just simplel.
99% watching
1% handeling.
1% handeling depends on how far ahead you want and can look.
Teach yourself to learn to assess situations as well as possible.
Mainly by looking around you carefully and continuing to look around you.
And then act accordingly.
Trust yourself and not others in traffic.
Just because you have priority doesn't always mean you always get it.
Keeping enough distance and turning on your flashing light on time and holding it on long enough sometimes also help.
I’m Dutch, never heard of it.
It just goes to show cycling is unhealthy.
I always do the dutch rudder before getting out.
Opening the door with seatbelt on…. Smart
Easier to get into the habit of caring about other people and checking your wing mirrors regular before pulling out, reversing and opening your door
She is my wife. I haven't seen a day she does this. Sometimes even inside our house she hits me the door. Then she massage me to make up for that.
I'm a keen cyclist and nearly hit a cyclist with my door yesterday. I am still upset to think it happened so easily… I shall be ultra mindful now and use the Dutch reach.
very good way of doing it, also taking of your safety belt would help you actually getting out of the car…
So NOT Dutch! Its been taught in driving schools to first check your inside mirror, followed by looking over your left shoulder before opening the door. No such thing as a Dutch Reach.
As a cyclist, you should be aware of your surroundings. (1.30 is a false asumprio) If you see a car pull In a parking space, you can bet het will get out. Perhaps not seeing you.
Also keep your distance from parking cars as you drive by.