The Dutch reach: a simple habit that saves lives

Did you know there’s a way to save a life when you get out of the car? All you have to do to make sure you don’t hit a cyclist is get into a different habit when you open the door.

1. 8. 2024 Lifestyle

You most likely do it automatically and without thinking: you grab the handle of the left door with your left hand and the handle of the right door with your right. But it’s time to start changing that habit. There are more and more cyclists on the roads, and if a door suddenly swings open in front of them they don’t have time to react. Modern assistance systems can do a lot (more on them in the box at the end of this article), but the human factor can ultimately always make a difference.

That’s why a simple but effective technique is being promoted worldwide: the Dutch reach. It’s a method that originated in the Netherlands, a country famous for its cycling culture. The idea is simple: use the opposite hand. If you’re sitting on the left side of the car, this means using the right hand, and vice versa. This action naturally forces you to twist to the side and look over your shoulder, which makes it possible to spot an otherwise unseen cyclist approaching from behind.

Cyclists’ safety is a major issue, especially in cities. Accidents of this type, when a cyclist crashes into a suddenly opened car door (known as “dooring”), can lead to serious injury or even death. And according to studies, they account for nearly twenty percent of reported cyclist accidents. Because the Dutch reach makes a car’s occupants check their surroundings before opening a door, the likelihood of dooring is greatly reduced.

Blind Spot Detect helps monitor the space behind the car.

Although the principal benefit of the Dutch reach is to make the roads safer for cyclists, it also promotes a deeper culture of mutual consideration and respect on the road. Modern cars may be equipped with an expanding array of assistance systems to monitor the blind spot when getting out of the car, but the Dutch reach is a very simple and effective method for avoiding accidents.

Assistance systems also make cyclists safer

Škoda cars are equipped with several assistance systems that actively protect pedestrians and cyclists around the car. Front Assist prevents collisions. If a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes to mitigate the consequences of a collision. If a pedestrian or cyclist crosses the car’s path, the system also activates emergency braking on its own. In a critical situation, when Front Assist intervenes with braking and the driver indicates that he is making an evasive manoeuvre by moving the steering wheel, the anti-collision assist system makes targeted steering interventions to help avoid the obstacle.

With two second-generation radar sensors at the rear of the car, Side Assist can detect vehicles and cyclists approaching from behind or in the blind spot. LED lights inside the exterior mirror caps warn drivers. This driver assistance system is complemented by the Exit Warning safety feature. It warns the driver and other passengers when getting out if there is a risk of collision with another vehicle, cyclist, scooter rider or jogger when opening the door – when performing parallel parking, for example. The warning is both visual and acoustic. Exit Warning uses the Blind Spot Monitoring system’s radar to monitor the space along the sides of the car up to a distance of 35 metres to the rear.

Ten facts about the Dutch reach

1. Using the hand that’s further away from the door makes you twist your body and turn your head towards the side mirror.

2. It makes it easy to look out and back over your shoulder through the side window. (Conversely, using the closer hand keeps your shoulder beside the window and impairs the twisting movement you need to see behind you.)

3. If you open the door a slight way at first, you get a good view of what’s behind you.

4. Stretching your opposite arm to grab the door release mechanism makes it easier to push the door only a slight way open at first and makes it less likely you’ll suddenly swing the door open.

5. This slight door movement can warn cyclists, giving them time and space to react.

6. If you keep your closer hand gripping the door handle, you can pull the door closed faster at any point.

7. The Dutch reach works in the front and back of the car and compensates for the rear seat passengers’ lack of a side mirror.

8. Using the opposite hand means you will get out of the car facing backwards, so you’ll have a better view of the approaching traffic than if you’re facing forwards or side on.

9. Regular use of the Dutch reach will make it second nature.

10. Replace one unthinking habit with another habit that is much safer.