The Unseen Danger of the “Mindless” Door Open
When you are the driver and your car is parked, your left hand is naturally closer to the door handle. It feels quicker and easier to just reach out with your left hand, pull the lever, and push the door open.
This action creates a major safety risk. There could be cyclists, delivery riders, people on scooters, or even a passing car coming up right alongside your vehicle. When someone opens a car door directly into the path of another road user, it is known as a “dooring accident.” These types of accidents can cause very serious injuries, especially to vulnerable road users like cyclists, and they are happening much more often than many people realize in busy urban areas.
Understanding the Life-Saving “Dutch Reach” Technique
The simple but highly effective technique that the police officer described is formally known in traffic safety circles around the world as the Dutch Reach.
Instead of reaching for the driver’s side door handle with your close, convenient left hand, you make the deliberate effort to use your right hand instead.
Why does this small change have such a massive impact on safety?
Reaching across your body with your right hand actually forces your entire body to shift. This movement naturally causes you to do three critical things:
- Turn your shoulders
- Swivel your head naturally
- Look over your shoulder and into your mirror
That tiny physical adjustment turns what was a thoughtless, quick movement into a built-in safety check. It makes you far more likely to spot any approaching vehicle, bicycle, or scooter before you ever open the door even an inch.
