Calls for 'Dutch reach' to be introduced in New Zealand to improve cycle safety

Wednesday, 17 January 2018

There are calls for Kiwis to adopt a safer way of opening their car doors.

The looming threat of serious injury from car doors has cyclists calling on Kiwi motorists to start opening them with their far hand – a technique known as the Dutch reach.

The Dutch reach forces drivers to turn and look behind them before opening their door. It has been taught in the Netherlands for years and people there are required to demonstrate it before they can pass a driving test.

Cycle Action Network project manager Patrick Morgan said it was time the Dutch reach became a requirement for obtaining a licence here as well.

The Dutch reach has been taught in the Netherlands (where the driver's side is on the left) for many years. It is a requirement for passing a driver's licence test there.

'It's a very simple action and it doesn't take you any longer when opening your door, he said.

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Wellington woman Labu Na was hospitalised after she was hit by a car door while cycling in Rintoul St in November.

* Dutch reach? Yeah, nah, she'll be right

* Cyclist killed on Hawke's Bay expressway

* Cyclist death after Wairarapa crash**

'The law already requires a duty of care when exiting vehicles. I think it's an easy habit to get into.'

The call for change comes after Wellington cyclist Labu Na was knocked unconscious by a car door that opened in front of her on Rintoul St in November.

The Dutch reach involves drivers using their far hand to open a car door, forcing them to turn their head and shoulders. It's is common practice in the Netherlands.

Na cannot remember the nasty collision but is still suffering pain and severe headaches two months on. She has vowed to never cycle again because of it.

'I'm scared now. Until I die, I will never ride a bike anymore,' Na said through a Burmese interpreter.

The Cycle Action Network is calling for the Dutch reach to be introduced in New Zealand to prevent cyclists being hit by car doors. (File photo).

“My left arm and elbow and my right hip and back are still painful. I still feel numbness in my left arm sometimes because of the pain.”

Na, who arrived in New Zealand as a refugee about two years ago, now walks 45 minutes each way to her English language classes.

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) received almost a claim a week from cyclists hit by car doors in 2017, paying out more than $58,000 in compensation.

In Wellington, claims averaged more than one a month, with 13 victims paid almost $24,000.

Automobile Association Driving School general manager Roger Venn said some instructors and defensive driving course tutors in this country do teach the Dutch reach, but it is not mandated.

'We don't specifically teach the Dutch reach, or call it the Dutch reach. However, I believe it's a very good idea if it gets people thinking about what they're doing when they're opening car doors.'

Enforcing the technique was not necessary, he said.

'Just because you don't use your left hand to open the driver's door doesn't mean you're not aware. I think it's an excellent practice to recommend, but it should not be a fail [on a driving test].'

Ministry of Transport safety and mobility manager Brent Johnston said the ministry was working with the NZ Transport Agency on a range of options to improve cycle safety.

But mandating the Dutch reach was problematic, he said. 'There is no way of knowing if the person opening their door used the correct hand or not and some people may not be able to reach across their bodies to open the door.'

Morgan said about a third of Kiwi adults rode bikes, and people should not wait until the Dutch reach becomes law before adopting the technique.

Tessa Coppard, cycle skills instructor and assistant programme coordinator at PedalReady, said the threat from car doors was sometimes the reason why cyclists rode in the centre of traffic lanes.

'The reason they ride out there is for their own safety and protection.'