Opening a car door feels like a routine task. But when a cyclist is approaching from behind, one quick movement can cause a serious crash. The driver may not see the rider in the mirror, and the cyclist may have little time to stop or move out of the way.
A simple habit called the Dutch Reach can help prevent these situations. It changes how you reach for the door handle, making it easier to look behind you before opening the door. It takes only a moment and can become second nature with practice.
What Is Dooring?
Dooring happens when someone opens a vehicle door into the path of an approaching cyclist. The rider may strike the door directly or swerve into moving traffic to avoid it. Either situation can lead to serious injuries.
The risk is especially high on streets where bike lanes run beside parked cars. Cyclists may have limited room to move away from an opening door, particularly when traffic is passing on their left.
Drivers and passengers can help prevent these crashes by checking before opening any door facing traffic. Mirrors are useful, but they do not show everything. A cyclist may be in a blind spot or approach between mirror checks.
How to Do the Dutch Reach: Four Steps
The Dutch Reach is a simple technique popularized in the Netherlands, where drivers are encouraged to open car doors with the hand farthest from the door.
Follow these four steps:
- Reach across.
If you are sitting in the driver’s seat, use your right hand to reach for the door handle instead of your left. Passengers on the right side can use their left hand. - Turn your body.
Reaching across naturally turns your shoulders toward the window and the area behind you. - Look for cyclists.
Check your side mirror and look over your shoulder for approaching bicycles, motorcycles, and other traffic. - Open the door slowly.
If the way is clear, open the door a little at a time. Stay alert as you step out.
The point is not simply to use the opposite hand. It is to build a full check into the action of opening the door.
Practice the movement whenever you park. Once it becomes a habit, you are less likely to forget the shoulder check when you are distracted or in a hurry.
Why the Dutch Reach Works
People often open doors while distracted, talking to a passenger, or preparing to leave the car. A quick mirror check can become automatic and incomplete.
Using the far hand encourages drivers to turn their bodies and look over their shoulders. It also creates a pause to check for approaching cyclists before opening the door.
No technique removes every risk, but making this check part of the routine can help prevent dooring crashes.
Dooring Is Against the Law in Illinois
Under Illinois’s dooring law, a person must not open a vehicle door into moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe and will not interfere with traffic. A door must not remain open longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.
The rule applies to drivers and passengers alike. Using the Dutch Reach helps make checking for approaching cyclists part of opening the door safely.
Tips for Rideshare Drivers and Passengers
Frequent stops make dooring prevention especially important for rideshare and delivery drivers. A few simple habits can help keep cyclists and passengers safer.
- Choose a safe stopping place.
Pull over where stopping is permitted, and avoid blocking bike lanes. - Use the curbside exit.
Passengers should exit on the sidewalk side whenever possible, away from moving traffic. - Give a quick reminder.
Say, “Check for bikes before opening the door,” especially when stopping on a busy street. - Check before opening your own door.
Drivers should use the Dutch Reach and look over their shoulder before stepping out. - Allow time to exit.
Avoid rushing passengers, even during busy pickup and drop-off periods. - Check mirrors before pulling away.
Make sure passengers have closed their doors and cyclists are not approaching alongside the vehicle. - Avoid stopping near intersections or narrow bike lanes when a safer, legal stopping location is available.
Parents can also teach the Dutch Reach to teen drivers and passengers. Practicing early helps build a lasting habit for busy streets, parking lots, and school pickup zones.
What Cyclists Can Do to Reduce the Risk
Drivers and passengers carry responsibility for checking before opening a door, but cyclists can also take precautions.
When it is legal and safe, ride far enough from parked vehicles to avoid the door zone, the area into which a car door could swing. Do not move into fast traffic without checking behind you, and use lights in low-visibility conditions.
Watch for signs that someone may be about to exit, such as brake lights, a vehicle that has just parked, or people visible inside. These clues do not guarantee a door will open, so keep enough space to react when possible.
For more practical prevention advice, read how cyclists can avoid dooring.
If a Dooring Crash Happens
If a dooring collision occurs, move out of immediate danger if you can do so safely. Call 911 if anyone is injured or needs emergency assistance, and seek medical care even if the injury initially seems minor.
If it is safe, take photographs of the vehicle, open door, bicycle, road layout, and any visible damage. Collect the driver’s details and contact information for witnesses. Keep damaged equipment and save medical records and insurance correspondence.
Fault and insurance questions can arise after a dooring crash. In serious cases, or when responsibility is disputed, help from a bike dooring lawyer in Chicago may help an injured rider understand the process and what evidence may be relevant.
The Dutch Reach takes about two seconds: use the far hand, turn, look, and open slowly. Making that movement a habit can help protect cyclists and make streets safer for everyone. This article provides general information, not legal advice.
