Peel's Going Dutch
WATCH: Has this ever happened to you?
It’s a beautiful day so you decide to ride your bicycle to your destination. As you cycle lawfully along the roadway, cars are parked along the curb side to your right. As you pass them, you narrowly miss getting knocked off of your bike by a driver opening their door to exit their vehicle. Luckily there aren’t any cars on your left side, so you are able to urgently swerve out of the way.
What if you can’t react in time? What if there is a car on your left?
Let’s take the stress and danger away from this scenario and introduce you to a great trick that is part of the cycling culture of the Netherlands. Since 1976, they have been successful in avoiding getting ‘doored’ by using the ‘Dutch Reach’.
What is the Dutch Reach? It’s a simple maneuver that calls for motorists to reach for their door handle with their right hand rather than then their left. The driver then turns their body naturally allowing them to look in their mirror and over their left shoulder.
Here are four easy steps:
- Check both your rear view mirror and side mirror.
- Using your right hand, reach across your body and place your hand on the door handle.
- As you begin to open the door your body is naturally set up for you to look over you left shoulder.
- You can now safely open your door and exit your vehicle.
Make sure to look for not only cyclists but other vehicles as well. This will give you time to stop yourself from opening your door if you see one coming.
Watch our video and save lives!
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