Motorists in the United Kingdom are obliged to apply the ‘Dutch Reach’ from next Saturday. Anyone who does not do this and causes a dangerous situation can expect a hefty fine.
According to the BBC this obligation will be included in the traffic law (Highway Code) next Saturday. Anyone who opens their car door in any other way risks a fine of £1,000, or about €1,200. Many Dutch people will probably not immediately know what is meant by the Dutch trick, but it is widely known abroad. In the United Kingdom, campaigns have been going on for years for the introduction of the ‘Dutch Reach’.
It was already announced last year that this use would be included in the Highway Code, although at the time it did not seem to be an actual obligation that would result in a fine if you do not apply it. It works like this: getting out of the car must use the hand furthest from the release lever when opening the door. In cars in the Netherlands this is the right hand of the driver and the left hand of the co-driver. This way you force yourself to look over your shoulder when opening the door. This automatically gives you a better view of oncoming cyclists or other road users.
There is doubt about the origin of the term ‘Dutch Reach’. That name allegedly first appeared in the United States, but it owes its name to a phenomenon that was found here in the Netherlands. Americans apparently noticed that ‘we’ here sometimes get out of cars differently than usual. A reader is late AD know that he was taught this a long time ago: “I once learned this from my driving instructor. And I can’t imagine that my instructor was the only one at that time: about 50 years ago,” says Johan from Blokland. Another reader states that this way of getting out of a car can already be found in newspapers from 1961.
The video below, also from the United Kingdom, explains how it works.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl