Getting out of the car? Many English do it all wrong. And so from Saturday 29 January they must be apprenticed to us Dutch people. The so-called ‘Dutch Reach’ will become mandatory, on pain of a hefty fine.
Chances are you don’t know what the ‘Dutch Reach’ is. It’s a way of opening your door. Someone sitting on the left in the car grabs the door with his right hand. Someone sitting on the right side of the car grabs the door with his left hand. As a result, you automatically turn your body and you have a good view of the area behind and next to the car, where a cyclist may arrive.
Dutch Reach has its origin in the Netherlands
The maneuver has a Dutch origin. In the sixties, seventies and eighties, when the number of road deaths among cyclists in our country was much higher, the method was widely used. It is not entirely clear where the term ‘Dutch Reach’ comes from. An American doctor is said to have invented it.
Mandatory to open your door safely, otherwise hefty fine
In the United Kingdom, from Saturday 29 January it is mandatory to use the ‘Dutch Reach’ when you open the car door. If you don’t, you can be fined 1000 pounds (almost 1200 euros converted). Cyclists’ organizations have lobbied vigorously for the law. Too many English motorists just throw open the door, not caring about cyclists.