Simple Car Door Trick That Could Prevent Thousands Of Crashes - News

• 2,500 collisions in 10 years – almost five a week – caused by car doors hitting passing road users
• Dutch Reach: open the door with your far hand, forcing a shoulder check for cyclists
• Highway Code: failing to check is a criminal offence, with fines up to £1,000

Have you heard of the Dutch Reach? It might sound unusual, but this simple way of opening a car door could help prevent thousands of crashes on Britain's roads.

Newly released Department for Transport (DfT) figures show there have been almost 2,500 reported collisions in the past decade caused by vehicle doors being opened into the path of passing cyclists, motorcyclists or pedestrians. That's equivalent to around 250 every year, or nearly five every week.

The Dutch Reach involves opening the car door with the hand furthest from it – for example, using the left hand for a driver in a right-hand-drive vehicle. This naturally twists the body, encouraging drivers and passengers to look over their shoulder and check for people passing by.

Imran Malek, corporate sales manager at Trackdays.co.uk, says: "Nearly 2,500 collisions in ten years is a shocking figure for something so avoidable."

"The Dutch Reach takes seconds to do, but it could prevent injuries and even save lives. We'd love to see more people make it a habit every time they get out of the car."

The importance of checking before opening a door is made clear in the Highway Code, Rule 239, which states: "You MUST ensure you do not hit anyone when you open your door. Check for cyclists or other traffic by looking all around and using your mirrors."

Breaking this rule is also a criminal offence – meaning drivers and passengers who fail to check properly could face fines of up to £1,000.

Imran adds: "We should all be doing our bit to keep Britain's roads safer. Something as small as how we open a door can make a huge difference."

One way that we are actively promoting this at Trackdays is through our range of Driving Lessons, including Skid Control sessions that will help provide safer driving skills in all manner of situations on the road. Book yours today at UK wide venues through dates on our Events Calendar or through purchase of one of our open Gift Vouchers.