Officials’ Dutch Reach Instruction Guide

 

 

This webpage details the Dutch Reach far-hand habit for safest exiting of vehicles.  Comparison is made to the near-hand habit which it should replace for reasons soon to be made clear.  Below the Guide instructions & explanations is a gallery of examples of how various governments, road safety experts and advocates present the far hand habit in their teaching or cueing of safe egress procedure.

'Dutch Reach' instructions range from a few words - Open with far hand  - to multiple steps.  No one phrase, text or set of steps fits all.  But the examples below may help you craft your own version.  Other wording, graphics & videos can be found elsewhere on this site, including accounts in 39 languages & versions for left-side of road nations.

Feel free to browse the Gallery below first. But come back up for the talk!..:

A GUIDED TOUR OF 'DUTCH REACH'

The Dutch Reach can be taught in one short phrase.  However truly safe exiting requires multiple steps before, during & after its signature move. 

Wonderfully, the far-hand habit automatically prompts - even compels - all succeeding steps.  And each new step adds more safety, as will be explained.

While you work to craft concise instructions, it's worth keeping in mind the hidden steps and rationales.  This knowledge may shape your final wording.  It may also help you draft curricula or prepare briefings, press releases, behavior change campaigns, advocacy letters, etc.

So please consider this detailed set of 'Dutch Reach' instructions:

1.  Turn off ignition, set brake, release seat belt.
2.  Check both outside and inside rear-view mirrors for vehicles & cyclists in back and in adjacent bike or travel lanes.
   
3. Using hand further from door, Reach across to door latch.  [Note: This forces upper body & head to turn outward; the near hand habit does not cause rotation.]
4. Mid-swivel, again Check side/wing mirror.  [Note: Near hand habit does not induce side-mirror use.]
5. Twist further, look out the side & back over outer shoulder for oncoming road users.  [Note: Near hand habit again encourages neither. In fact using near hand on latch cripples shoulder-check as it freezes the outer shoulder.  This blocks torso rotation.  One's turned head & eyes cannot twist further to get the view directly back.]
6. Still vigilant for oncoming traffic, Unlatch door but keep hand grasped upon handle.
7. If safe, with near hand now assisting, Open door a few inches & lean slightly out to gain a clear, unobstructed view back for approaching traffic.
   [Note:  On this point multiple advantages result --

a)  Reaching across ones body to operate the latch and open the door automatically curbs sudden, wide or flung opening.  This habituated safety gain over the near hand push or thrust habit is immense -- and vastly under-appreciated:  Few people can push or shove a door wide open using the far arm. And no one can if their far-hand latch grip is kept hold.  But a near-hand push or shove allows and even encourages door throwing.

b)  Fast, flung, ambush opening startles or completely blindsides cyclists.  Too often it results in grave harm.  A handlebar nick can crash the bicyclist and throw them into the roadway.  A direct hard impact of bike or body, or desperate swerving with loss of control too often cause violent crashes.  Cyclists can be impaled by the door's edge or crash into or even be tossed over the obstructing door wall. Even without loss of control a quick swerve to avoid direct dooring puts the cyclist in path of vehicles and can prove fatal. 

c)  Far hand on door latch and near hand on armrest retain one's ability to retract door quickly, or prevent a gust of wind from blowing it open - which can also damage the door.

d)  Window, door frame & 'B' pillar no longer limit the exiting person's view back as they then lean slightly out and look directly back for oncoming cyclists through the now slightly opened door.

e)  The side mirror alone cannot provide full safety.  In addition to misadjustment, blind spots, glare, darkness, compromising dirt or water, etc., once a motorist shifts or  turns  their head or, if the side mirror is door-mounted and the door then opened, its view back is completely lost.  Some side mirrors now include a small convex secondary mirror which, though distorting, may help. However the continuous, unobstructed direct view back encouraged and achievable by the Reach method provides the most assured view, and does so just when the decision to open for exit is to be made. [Adjust mirrors.]

.f)  The Reach method is especially needed for rear passengers. For they lack all mirrors. Likewise, the inside rear view mirror serves only the driver - and is useless for front passengers.

g)  Slow partial opening can warn cyclists & may allow time to yell and cause the operator to retract the door as their hands still control it.  This nudge warning gives a cyclist chance to brake or more safely steer to avoid harm.

h)  Slight initial opening also allows cyclists more safe space to maneuver and reduce swerve risk.

8.  All clear? Open slowly. Remain vigilant. Avoid full opening if not required. Exit facing traffic, ready to retreat if needed.   Close door as soon as possible. [Note: With far hand still on door latch, drivers & passengers naturally exit facing back.  Near hand habit positions motorists to exit facing forward, their back to oncoming traffic.  Also, with door still held during exit, occupants are less likely to release and open door to its widest extent - a practice which should be discouraged unless necessary.]

9.  Still facing traffic, walk around back of vehicle to gain sidewalk.  [Note: The Reach thus guides all vehicle occupants to exit more safely onto and then off the roadway.]

Taken altogether, the Dutch Reach method minimizes dooring risks and harms for cyclists & other vulnerable road users and their vehicles.  It is also safer for drivers & passengers at no cost but for habit retraining.  It avoids door damage, traffic violations, fines, license loss, insurance claims & point penalties, civil liability & criminal prosecutions, life disruptions & delays, work time or employment loss, shame and guilt.  Society too is spared needless police, rescue, hospital long term medical costs, road blockage, municipal, court and other resource depletion.

Please Note: As shown, the Dutch Reach increases the diligence of drivers who already exercise some caution on exiting.  But most importantly, it would greatly reduce dooring risk by drivers & passengers who habitually fail to exercise any caution upon exiting their vehicles (found by a British survey to be 35% and a Florida survey at 59.5%) !

See also: Far Hand is Safer Than You Think!, The Habit of Safety & Practice Tips.

A Comment on Dooring
Most motorists & passengers are unaware of dooring risks or the coinages 'dooring,' 'car-dooring' or 'doored.'  Fewer know 'Dutch Reach', or why our near hand 'commonsense' push habit is dangerously flawed.  They also may not know the term 'Vulnerable Road User,' or that doorings involve not just bicyclists, but also motorcyclists, mopeds, scooters, skate-boarders, in-line skaters, joggers and even pedestrians; also that trucks, buses, streetcars, vans, pickups or other cars can be 'doored,' or door them, taking doors & lives with them.

Riljes-hulp.NL Dutch driving school produced this second, shorter lesson for both safe entry & safe egress, Oct 16, 2018.  Exiting instruction starts at 38 sec.[If you speak Dutch and would like to help by providing a translation into English &/or other languages, please do! & kindly email to DRP using Contact. Thank you!]