Door or suddenly opening car doors is a big problem in many countries. According to the American cyclists’ association, it is even the most common cause of accidents between bicycles and cars. In our country, 300 people are injured every year. The Vooruit political party wanted to prevent this and put forward a bill mandating so-called “Dutch coverage” for all vehicle occupants.

Dutch Reach means that you use your hand farthest from the release handle when opening the door. With us (where the person is driving on the right) this is the driver’s right hand and the driver’s left hand together. That way you force yourself to look behind you when you want to open the door. This automatically gives you a better view of oncoming cyclists or other road users.

Vooruit wants this action to be included in the traffic regulations. For example, the police could theoretically charge you a fine if you don’t open your car door properly. In fact, according to the party, the main goal is to make people aware of technology. In the Netherlands and the UK it has been part of the road code for some time. In the latter country, fines can even go up to 1,000 pounds (1,170 euros), if the police catch you.

Several auto manufacturers have built in systems that notice that a cyclist is approaching when you want to get out. They use the same technique with the help of a blind spot. When you start to open the door, they warn you audiovisually with a flashing light in the rearview mirror and the sound of an alarm. Some models even delay opening the door for less than a second if danger is imminent.

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