Dutch Reach Project – A site to promote the Dutch far-hand habit to avoid dooring cyclists, or drivers or passengers from stepping into on-coming traffic.

DOORED? FEAR IT? TEACH the REACH! TELL EVERYONE! IT'S MUCH SAFER!

>> Reach, Swivel, Look out at mirror & back, Open slowly. <<

Drivers & passengers each use far hand to open car door.

Reach across for the door handle.

Forced to Swivel, you automatically Look out, at mirror & easily back for bikes & traffic.

All clear?

Then Open slowly to exit while remaining vigilant.

Dutch kids learn it from parents & in school.

It’s taught in drivers’ ed, and used to pass their driving test.

It's been Dutch commonsense for 50 years. Time we thought so too!

Tip: Tie ribbon on latch as reminder... & practice!

NSC Dutch Reach Video

Now in 2022 UK Highway Code

See #8 Parking.

Find Dutch Reach materials in other languages & from other countries here.

Dooring Cam Video

CarToq lesson here.

Dutch Reach Guide for Instructors, Officials, Advocates

A Guide for Dutch Reach Instruction: explanations & examples for road safety officials, experts, driving instructors & advocates. Add to YOUR state Driver's Manual too! See Bike League's: Dutch Reach Bicycle Friendly State advisory. Explore this website for tools & resources.

MassDOT Video

Note: Demo misleads with open window. Best shoulder-check view back gained once door nudged open as in MassDOT's Dutch Reach animation here.

Dooring victim, reporter & Dutch driving instructor explain the Dutch Reach far hand method.

How to do the 'Dutch reach' - And how it could save someone's life. BBC News/Europe & The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Sept 11, 2017. On Facebook.

Dutch Reach Signage

Dutch Reach Parking Alert sign for UK with Black silhouette of driver & approaching cyclist on on black figures on white background. Driver is turned facing back with far hand on door latch, doing the Dutch Reach technique, using far hand anti dooring method to open latch, turned & to look over shoulder to scan for on-coming bicyclists or traffic. Figures & bike wheels are in ISO international standards organization's style.No logos. Design by New York Bicycling Coalition & Dutch Reach Project.

More graphics? Click pages: (A) (B), (C) & (D).

Michael Charney Dutch Reach Project to prevent dooring crashes & accidents New York Times article documents Netherland's far hand safety habit, danger of open car doors.

Read story, NY Times, 5 Oct 2018. Click image to enlarge.

Graphic to Prohibit Dooring of Bicyclists. A composite by Dutch Reach Project comprised of New Haven CT TT&P "Doors Hurt" graphic + universal NO symbol.

Dooring Statistics - Frightfully common, life-altering or fatal.

MA DRIVER'S MANUAL GOES DUTCH!

More on MA Manual, Press Release & coverage. MA Driver's Manual En Español.. pp. 112-113.

Illinois Adds "Reach' to Code & Test

Dutch Reach anti dooring technique move, habit or measure is now officially part of driver education in Illinois USA.

Illinois: 2nd state to adopt 'Reach'. Click here for IL Driver's Manual pdf p. 43. Also in: Español: Illinois 2019 Normas de Tránsito, página 43. Polsku: Illinois 2019 Przepisy ruchu, strona 43.

Washington 3rd State to Adopt 'Reach'

Español Spanish 中文 Chinese - 한국어 Korean - Русский Russian - #Việt #Vietnamese - & 日本語 Japanese.

Washington State adds 'Dutch Reach' to 2019 Driver Guide - in 7 different language editions. See Chapter 3-p 27 - Parking. Click image to enlarge.

The Pennsylvania Dutch! (4th State)

PA - Pennsylvania department of transportation licencing & motor vehicles adds Dutch far hand method for dooring prevention as tip or advisory to driving instructions with help of PA Pedestrian and Pedalcycle Advisory Committee.

State of Pennsylvania, USA, adds Dutch Reach to 2019 Driver's Handbook, June 10, 2019. PA Manual as pdf, p.93.

VIDEO: THE DUTCH REACH - SAFE FOR WORK

Video transcript in English, française

View additional Dutch Reach videos & animations: in English or 12 Other Languages

International Dutch Reach News | Reports in 42 languages, 53 countries | Canada | Inhalt auf Deutsch | en Español | Italiano | langue française | South Asia; Hindi | UK, AUS |

Der Holländischer Griff GIF! von Stadt Berlin de

Aus aktuellem Anlass: Bitte beim Aussteigen aus dem Auto an den Schulterblick denken. Der Holländische Griff ist die beste Erinnerung und kann Leben retten.#sicherer #dutchreach #ruecksichtmitrueckblick pic.twitter.com/hztObf3QmL

— Senatsverwaltung für Umwelt, Verkehr & Klimaschutz (@SenUVKBerlin) April 24, 2018

National Safety Council

NSC video here. Far Hand Reach advisory & webpage.

10 Reasons why the Dutch far Hand Reach method for exiting vehicles to avoid dooring is safer for cyclists and car or vehicle occupants, dirvers & passengers when they open car door to exit. These reasons include: Curbs wide flinging; turns one to view side mirror; enables direct view after mirror view is lost; partial opening can warn cyclists; far grip allows fast retreat & closing; works for all exiting occupants, drivers & passengers front & rear; steps you out facing traffic; replaces flawed near hand practice; becomes an automatic muscle-memory habit, not just advise.

Not all Dutch Far Hand Reach advantages are obvious. 10 reasons are given above (click to enlarge). A more thorough explanation is given here.

Cycling Guide - Dutch Reach - NYBC, NHTSA, & GTSC from New York Bicycling Coalition on Vimeo.

All Things Considered: Massachusetts Goes Dutch [6/5/17]

Endorsed by League of American Bicyclists. See video.

This easy maneuver, borrowed from the Dutch, could be life-saving for cyclists; see also, How to do the 'Dutch reach' video by BBC & RoSPA.

Sequence of photos of mobile electronic traffic sign message which states: "Safer to Open / Car Door / With Far Hand" which describes the Dutch far hand Reach method to prevent doorings by heedlessly exiting drivers or passengers from motor vehicles, cars, vans & trucks into travel & bike lanes which can cause collisions with the door and result in njury or death to bicyclists. This sign first brought the Dutch Reach method message to the attention first of the Boston Globe and then national and international media as the story was quickly picked up by public radio & social media.

Mobile electronic traffic sign first 'texted' the Dutch Reach. Somerville, Mass., USA, 7 Sept 2016. Sign triggered media coverage which led to international attention. Credit: Dutch Reach Project.

Advised by Canadian Automobile Assn, SCO & Share the Road CC.

Dutch Reach diagram with montage. Boston Globe, 5/31/17. Click here for more graphics, languages. Click image to enlarge.

Dutch Reach diagram with montage. Boston Globe, 5/31/17. Click here for more versions, languages

The Dutch Reach illustrated & instructed by The Times of London, Sept 12, 2017. Image of driver on right side of car seen through windshield with red ribbon-like curved arrows indicating left arm reaching across to door latch, head & neck swiveling to look back through partially propped open car door, and sees bicyclist approaching from behind. Two numbered texts: 1) Driver reaches for the door handle with the left hand. 2) This forces the driver to look around.

The Dutch Reach diagram for for Left-side driving countries (UK). Credit: The Times of London. Click here for more graphics.

City of London's new Road Danger Reduction & Active Travel Plan calls for Dutch Reach training for taxi passengers. Click image for info.

"Approved by RoSPA" emblem to note the RoSPA endorsed the Dutch Reach in an advisory issued February 1, 2017 in UK.

Click here to view RoSPA's Dutch Reach safety advisory.

Evidently, My Dear Skeptic...

The Dutch Way: Bicycling and Fresh Bread, by Russell Shorto, NYTimes Sunday Review. Describes bicycling & road sharing culture in The Netherlands. Quotes technology professor & cycling historian Ruth Oldenziel who describes the Dutch countermeasure for avoiding car door crashes with cyclists.

Professor Ruth Oldenziel, Eindhoven Univ., NL confirms that the far hand method has been commonly taught & used in The Netherlands. New York Times, 30 July 2011, by Russell Shorto. More documentation here..

Dutch Reach safety poster - Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

"Exhibit A" !

Bike cam still @ 23 sec.: Driver with far hand on propped door, head turned to look back. Click to enlarge.

Dutch Reach Overview

For annotated summary, see Dutch Reach under Dooring in Wikipedia or click image.

Note Well:

If political will, install protected separated bike lanes. Cyclists should always try to avoid riding in or being squeezed into the door zone danger area, and all drivers & passengers should be urged to use the Dutch Reach across method to avoid car dooring of bicyclies, moped, motorcycles & other vulnerable road users.

No One Solution to Doorings. Protected bike lanes, Door zone avoidance, and the Dutch Reach are each valuable. Also needed: new technologies, enforcement, penalties, civil suits, & cyclist savvy.

Need Proof? Dutch Reach Spares Cyclist Despite Close Pass

Hungarian cyclist's bike cam shows driver peeking out of partly opened car door at 21-25 seconds. An overtaking vehicle prevents cyclist from takng the lane just as he approaches a parked car. Fearing a close pass or worse, cyclist was confined to the doorzone. Note white striped sleeve as driver's right hand reaches across his body for the door latch - a 'Dutch reach'. With the door slightly open, driver gains unobstructed view back by doing a full shoulder-check. Driver sees cyclist and delays opening door further until cyclist is safely passed.

CBC: Dutch Commonsense

Here’s Dutch Ambassador Henk van der Zwen demonstrating the ‘Dutch Reach’. @OttawaMorning @NLinCanada pic.twitter.com/p1AaHQaffl

— Hallie Cotnam (@HallieCBC) April 25, 2019

1st Study: Validating 'Dutch Reach'

Study finds far hand advantage for Dutch Reach anti dooring method.. See: Validating ‘Dutch Reach’: A Preliminary Evaluation of Far-Hand Door Opening and its Impact on Car Drivers’ Head Movements, Large, DR, et al., Human Factors Research Group, U Nottingham, UK. (PDF). Oct 2018. ICSC 2018 Conference paper. Click image to enlarge.

New Dutch Reach sticker as png or jpg. Download, print & distribute!

Latch Design Favors Far Hand Reach

A new door lever design by Aston Martin encourages the Dutch Reach. Find more tech dooring solutions here.

AAA Teaches Reach in "How to Drive"

American Automobile Assn's Dutch Reach advisory here. Click image to enlarge; order book here.

Dooring Self Defense for Cyclists

Summary overview article of advice about car dooring prevention and self defense for bicyclists to avoid being injured or killed by a careless heedless motorist driver or passenger who throws open their door into the path of oncoming vehicles & road users.

How Not to Get Doored - A Treatise for Urban Cyclists

Dutch Reach Project Case Study; 2016 - 2020

Case study on the Dutch Reach Project now published by the Observatory for Public Sector Innovation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. DRP's case report was submitted in response to OPSI 2020 Call for 'Edge of Government Innovations'. (April 2020). Click image to enlarge.

NSC Defensive Driving Course, 10th Edition

'Far Hand Reach' (aka Dutch Reach) as taught by National Safety Council in its Defensive Driving Courses, 10th Edition, (2019) and video, in classroom courses for courts, licensing authorities, auto insurers, US military etc. .Click image to enlarge.

Sécurité Routière - Road Safety .fr

Sécurité routière - Video; Voir la campagne ici.

Dooring & Dutch Reach Presentation

Self-administer (!) a tutorial on the Dutch Reach, Dooring, Cyclist v Car Door History, Anti-dooring Countermeasures, Technologies, Policies & more. Two sets of slides: Main Presentation & Supplementary Slides sets available c/o Google Share. links. [2 Aug 2022]

Open door crash danger was known by the 1930s in Sweden. Source.

Love Story, Love Kitsch?

The Dutch Reach from Flywheel Film on Vimeo. GHSA of NYS & NYBC. Dec. 2021.

Dutch Reach in Wikipedia

Click on image or here for Wikipedia Dutch Reach entry.

Tweet this page.

Also @dutchreach @masto.ai
Mastodon