The Dutch Reach
What is the Dutch Reach?
The Dutch Reach is a simple change of habit to help you open your car door safely. Instead of using the hand closest to the door, it means reaching across to open the door with the hand furthest from the door - your left hand if you're the driver. This naturally turns your body towards the window, helping you spot approaching cyclists.
Why do the Dutch Reach?
Every year, over 500 people across England, Wales and Scotland are injured because someone opens a car door into their path - and these are just the injuries which are reported to police - many more are never reported. If we want more people cycling more safely, we need everyone to make this simple technique an everyday habit.
What are Cycling UK doing?
Cycling UK, in partnership with Uber, have produced a range of freely available educational materials to help promote and teach Dutch Reach. Our hard-hitting virtual reality film recreates a car-dooring collision, and is available to every UK police force, but you can also show it to your friends or colleagues in virtual reality using your smartphone.
We've also developed a 2D film highlighting the importance of the Dutch Reach, as well as a paper and PDF guide for driving schools, instructors, colleges, employers and road safety organisations.
#TeachTheReach to help end car-dooring
We want everyone to take part and to #TeachTheReach to their friends, families and colleagues - the more people learn the technique, the safer our roads become. After getting started by sharing our video on Facebook, Twitter or email, why not get creative?
A Dutch Reach demonstration at your next all staff meeting? A school or community newsletter? Projecting the film onto the side of your house?
If every regular cyclist teach just four people the Dutch Reach, over 10 million people will know how to open their car door safely.
Let us know who you teach, and how you do it – use the hashtag #TeachTheReach or email [email protected], and you might just feature as one of our Dutch Reach Heroes.
With your help, we can end car-dooring for good.
