Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you to try a Dutch reach when opening the car door?

100 replies

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 31/10/2016 11:41

Another weekend bike ride and a near miss because a driver flung open a door without looking. Normally I try and give a door's width gap, but this isn't always practical on narrow streets with cars either side.

The number of people who fling open a door without checking for a cyclist is scary. I can't do more to make myself visible. Flashing light front and rear hi-viz in daytime and reflective material for night riding. I've come to the conclusion that it is a case of people not looking rather than failing to see me.

On getting back home I discovered the 'Dutch Reach' taught by Dutch driving instructors. You open the car door using the hand furthest away from the handle. In doing so you twist you body slightly and into the line of vision of the wing mirror. I tried it this morning on my drive to work and it really works! I am usually hyper vigilant when it comes to cyclists when I'm out driving, but this is a really useful failsafe check and such an easy habit to get into.

Can I ask you all to give it a go?

OP posts:
Original poster
LikeDylanInTheMovies · 02/11/2016 21:47

Possibly not. But the silly sods shouldn't be on the pavement.

OP posts:
Neonoen · 02/11/2016 21:48

Like.....yep was an adult. She got up and launched into a tirade at DD. DD was 6 at the time.

I told her to get off the bloody pavement silly caaaaa

dudsville · 02/11/2016 21:49

Great idea. My oh has been knocked over.

ChocolateBudgeCake · 02/11/2016 21:51

I don't know why people don't look in the mirror for other cars before opening the door anyway?! There's no way I'd throw a door open and just step out potentially into the path of a van!

Chinnygirl · 02/11/2016 21:51

I'm dutch and have never heard of it. Everybody I know just checks for cyclists before opening a car door because literally everybody cycles here!

S1lentAllTheseYears · 02/11/2016 22:10

Like ChocolateBudgeCake I always check before opening my door. Not just for cyclists - another car could be coming!

Also on the pavement side - sure the cyclist should have been there but a pedestrian might have been.

Gave one of DD's friends a lift to school once, she was in the back seat on the drivers side and, the second I stopped, she flung her door open and jumped out - thank goodness a car wasn't behind us or she'd have been hit - gave me an awful turn!

Also, the young lad driving a van, who spotted a burger van, stopped on a sixpence, flung open his door and leapt out causing the next few cars behind him to swerve violently to avoid hitting him - argh!

S1lentAllTheseYears · 02/11/2016 22:12

the cyclist should not have been there

Original poster
LikeDylanInTheMovies · 02/11/2016 22:13

neonen you'd think she'd just slink off, I'd be too bloody embarrassed to kick up a fuss if I'd been in the pavement like a six year old.

Luckily, she probably wasn't going at enough speed to have done herself serious mischief. If she was racing along on the pavement, it was probably as well she only only came a cropper against a door and not a pedestrian.

If you can't or won't ride on the road as an adult, you have no business being on a bike.

OP posts:
Original poster
LikeDylanInTheMovies · 02/11/2016 22:14

And yes I agree the daughter should have looked in case it was a pedestrian she was clunking, but very little sympathy for the cyclist in this particular case.

OP posts:
Pyjamaface · 02/11/2016 22:25

DP was hit by a car door 3 weeks ago. He was incredibly lucky it was on a Sunday morning as he rolled across the road, any other day/time he would have gone straight into another car and god knows how bad it would have been. As it is he has a couple of fractured ribs, a bruise the shape of a corsa door on his chest and plenty of other pains.

Because someone didn't look before flinging their door open. YANBU

Original poster
LikeDylanInTheMovies · 02/11/2016 22:28

Ouch. What happened to the door flinger? Hope he got their number.

OP posts:
Pyjamaface · 02/11/2016 22:34

Yeah, to her small credit she called an ambulance and freely gave her insurance details to DP. Police also turned up nd she admitted she didn't look so we have an incident number as well.

We have legal services through our home insurance so they are dealing with it as we can't afford £750 to replace the bike

Lalunya85 · 02/11/2016 22:39

I was knocked off my bike when pregnant with my DD last year. Angry so I'm 100% with you on this. Whatever works!

Original poster
LikeDylanInTheMovies · 02/11/2016 22:41

Sheesh it gets worse. I'd be bloody livid about the bike too. If nothing else, I hope she's learned her lesson. A pity your husband and his bike served as the learning tool.

OP posts:
PickAChew · 02/11/2016 22:52

it's a bit difficult to check in your mirror when you're in the back seat.
Though I tend to be hyper cautious getting out from the rear offside seat, anyhow, as it's hard to see what's coming and I'm terrified something will whizz past and take the door with it, such is village life. When we visit my parents (and I sit i the back with DS2 as DS1 has longer legs than me and an unfortunate tendency to fight with his brother over the slightest thing!), DH gets out to guide me out because their house is at the bottom of a hill and only just past the 30mph signs, so some people come down seriously fast.

And yes, i did open this thread expecting it to be about something else entirely Blush

SansasEscape · 02/11/2016 22:54

I thought a dutch reach was going to be a fancy hand job.

Original poster
LikeDylanInTheMovies · 02/11/2016 23:04

sansa blimey! Whilst simultaneously opening a car door, that would take an impressive level of dexterity. Or an Octopus.

OP posts:
ohtheholidays · 02/11/2016 23:18

I always look in the mirror,I thought everyone did before they open they're door!?We've taught our 5DC to check before they open the car doors as well.

ErrolTheDragon · 02/11/2016 23:18

Its not a new phenomenon, of course - happened to my dad ~50 years ago. He taught us to look out for potential openers and try to ride a door's width out if possible.

Memoires · 02/11/2016 23:33

To a certain extent, it doesn't matter whether it forces you to look in the mirror or not; doing the Dutch reach would focus your attention on what you are doing and why, and having twisted a little already, it would only take a minimum of further effort to turn your head enough to see what's coming. Furthermore, the first more cautious opening of the door would be a much smaller movement and the door would not be suddenly thrown open for a cyclist to crash into, it would give the cyclist ample warning so they can make a smaller deviation to avoid you.

Though, obviously, it would be better if you do look in your mirror before opening the door fully.

ErrolTheDragon · 03/11/2016 00:06

Imo its better to look over your shoulder as that works when you're a passenger too.

Original poster
LikeDylanInTheMovies · 03/11/2016 01:07

I always look in the mirror,I thought everyone did before they open they're door!?

I can assure you, they don't. And at 20mph with little time to react to a door being swung in your direction, it is no fun.

OP posts:
StrictlyPan · 03/11/2016 06:17

It's that thing about coming off your bike under any circs and as you fall the only thought is "I hope my bike will be okay." Smile

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 03/11/2016 06:26

This is interesting. I genuinely have no idea if I look before opening my door. I guess that means I probably don't. Blush I will be more vigilant to it now and try this technique.

Bruce02 · 03/11/2016 06:43

If you can get into the habit of opening a door in a way that forces you to see a car or bike coming, surely you can get into the habit of just actually checking.