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Fort Collins' innovative Bike Friendly Driver (BFD) program teaches the far hand method. They call it the "Opposite Hand Trick"!  But that's just one tip in their BFD course aimed at motorists.

Motorists are responsible for most all doorings and for half of all vehicle/bike collisions.  But bike safety advocates have lacked programs to cure driver error.  Now enter the Bike Friendly Driver program of Fort Collins, CO.

Fort Collins has posted its Bike Friendly Driver program, its course, and a toolkit to develop, adapt & market versions for one's own locale.  It was featured at the National Bike Summit 2017 and is now going nationwide!

Find Information & links for the BFD course & toolkit here.

PSA Series on Social Media

Dutch Reach Gallery: 70+ images

Go to: Photo & Graphics Gallery or on drop-down Menu at Advocacy Toolkit > Graphics, Flyers, Stickers > Anti Dooring Gallery...

For the province:

• Change the MVAR to include dooring collisions to ensure more accurate reporting.

For the city:

• Install protected bike lanes on streets without streetcar tracks, including Bloor Street and Yonge Street; improve Adelaide Street between York Street and Victoria Street.
• In areas where streetcar tracks are prevalent, such as the west end of the urban core, consider replacing on-street parking with protected bike lanes.
• Investigate the role taxis and ridesharing services play in dooring collisions; consider banning taxi and ridesharing pickup and drop off in hotspot locations like Yonge and Dundas.
• Include dooring collision analysis in Road Safety Plan.
• Launch education campaign to educate drivers to understand why people on bikes ride one metre from parked cars even when that means using the centre lane of traffic, and to open their car door with their right hand.

For drivers:

• Use your right hand, what's known as the Dutch reach, when opening your car door. Always shoulder check before opening your door.

For cyclists:

• Avoid riding in the door zone by riding at least one metre from parked vehicles.

Additional coverage:  ‘Dooring’ incidents ... on the rise; Dramatic increase in 'dooring'  March 8, 2017.

Feb 1, 2017,
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), UK has endorsed the Dutch Reach Method as a recommended best traffic safety practice.  RoSPA published by web its expert finding of safety advantage.  It points out that the far hand reach method provides a continuous view of on-coming traffic whilst preparing to open and exit the motor vehicle.  It protects cyclists and exiting occupants from heedless and at times devastating harm, either by direct collision or due to dangerous swerves by bicyclists or vehicles to avoid flung open doors.

Click image for RoSPA's page

The far hand method has been practiced in the Netherlands for about 50 years with little notice elsewhere.  Such recognition by one of the world's preeminent safety and accident prevention organizations raises this hither-to-fore nameless commonplace -- but official Dutch practice -- to new found respect and prominence.  It confers authority for its adoption well beyond the physical and linguistic borders which stalled its export, leaving it little known or neglected by the English speaking world and, as it now appears given recent globe media attention, by most every other nation as well.

How opening your car door like the Dutch could save someone's life

by Hugh Morris for The Telegraph, UK
8 February 2017

Weiner Zeitung - blog, 21 February 2017

UK DAILY MAIL & THE SUN MIS-IDENTIFY THEN RIDICULE 'DUTCH REACH' 

A sign that RoSPA-approved Dutch Reach merits 'culture war' status.

The tabloids' escalation - see below - is now raising these issues further, albeit by use of dis-information and mockery.  Their attack may be in support of British Transport Secretary Chris Grayling who since December 15th, 2017 has been faulted for failure to use the Dutch Reach.  Grayling had doored the cyclist in October 2016 but his offense was only exposed two months later when a video of the dooring surfaced, posted by The Guardian, a legitimate newspaper in UK.  

Graying failed to exchange identification and has thus far escaped prosecution, despite apparently violating traffic code on several counts. Due to this scandal, the Transport Secretary has inadvertently elevated dooring, traffic law & safety for cyclists, bike lanes, and the Dutch Reach method -- all to far greater public awareness and concern than would otherwise have been the case.   

The tabloid press seized on a curious attempt -- seemingly well-meant by the Cambridgeshire Constabulary, UK, but dodgy all the same -- to improve upon the Netherlands', RoSPA and the Dutch Reach Project's recognized method.  

It was (first?) reported in the UK Cambridge News, and included online a jaunty video purporting to demonstrate the Dutch Reach.  But in fact was a radical departure:  It instructs drivers to lean out their opened side window to look for on-coming traffic, and use the far hand to grab the outside door handle and latch to open.

Note:  The original hoax story & dodgy video which appeared 9 Feb. in Cambridge News UK was taken down on 17 Feb without explanation nor accompanying retraction.   The headline and link are deceptively unchanged.  The substituted article again carries Raymond Brown's byline but whether the called-out editors or Mr. Brown actually did the re-write is here unknown.  Camb New UK & Brown's featured dodgy video has been removed -- & replaced by Outside Online's The Dutch Reach - Safe For Work.

CAMBRIDGE NEWS, UK    -   Cambridge Newspapers, CNL Media Ltd 

City leaders and police urge drivers to deploy 'Dutch Reach' to improve safety for cyclists

'Dutch Reach' is a method of opening a car door which is less likely to injure a passing cyclist
by Raymond Brown, 9 Feb., 2017 -- Now revised & considerably altered as of 17 Feb., 2017.  See preceding note above.

The British tabloid press seized upon this report to "ridiculue" (sic) theCambridgeshire police - perhaps well justified, but also mislabeled it the Dutch Reach, neglecting to make clear or report at all that the method mocked is a far deviation from the Dutch Reach. runs counter to RoSPA's advisory.  

DAILY MAIL.com  -  The Daily Mail & General Trust, owners.

It’s just Double Dutch! Motorists ridiculue [sic] police proposal for drivers to adopt wweird 'Dutch Reach' technique for getting out of a car without hitting a cyclist

Method called Dutch Reach involves opening door with your 'opposite' hand

By Emily Chan For Mailonline
Published: 12:12 EST, 10 Feb 2017 | Updated: 12:31 EST, 10 Feb 2017

'SOUNDS QUITE RUDE'

Police mocked for ‘absurd’ campaign involving a manoeuvre dubbed ‘Dutch reach’ aimed to make roads safer for cyclists

The method involves motorists winding down the window and opening the door from the outside using their left hand
by Ellie Cambridge, 10th February 2017, 11:28 pm

How the 'Dutch reach' could help drivers protect cyclists from 'dooring'
by Michael O'Reilly, Executive Style, Jan 20 2017

AUSTRALIAN VIDEO:  CAR DOORING (BICYCLES)

How to Avoid Dooring a Bicycle Rider
by RACV Australia

MAMAMIA: What Women Are Talking About
Mamamia.com.au  > Real Life > Lifestyle
Jan 17,  2017 -  Joanna Robin

This small adjustment to the way you open your car door could save a life.

 A Dutch driving trick that's saving cyclists.

Radio station beloved by London cabbies posts 'Dutch Reach' cycle safety video
by Elliot Johnston January 15 2017 - Road.cc

LBC UK: Leading Britain’s Conversation

The One Thing We Can ALL To Do Save Cyclists' Lives
Website video & talk radio segment - 13 January 2017

Transport Secretary Grayling's cameo concludes the video.
For more on this story see below, Transport Sec. Doors....

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ca City Councillor Matt Allard submits motion for 'Dutch reach' body-twisting motion to keep cyclists safe from doorings.  Asks Public Insurance agency to popularize manoeuvre. CBC News, Jan 10, 2017.  

Mark Cahoe, executive director of Bike Winnepeg endorsed the measure as a doable and affordable complement to infrastructure improvements.

The 'Dutch Reach' explained

CBC News: Winnipeg at 6:00
January 10, 2017 01:09
The CBC's Brett Purdy explains the 'Dutch Reach'

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