New Highway Code rule will fine drivers and passengers £1,000 for opening their door wrong
20.01.2022 - 20:39
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
All drivers and passengers in the UK have been warned about Highway Code rule changes to how they open their doors.
A new rule has been put in place to protect cyclists.
Instead of blindly opening a door, the 'Dutch Reach' requires you to use the hand furthest the door to open it - if you're the one behind the wheel, you'd use your left hand, on the passenger side, you would use your right.
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Opening the door with the hand furthest away prompts a driver to turn their body towards the door and look over their shoulder as they go to leave their car.
The over-the-shoulder look as you reach for your door handle is a vital part of the method.
By doing this, they will get sight of any cyclists or pedestrians passing by their car that they may have missed if they hadn't checked.
The new section under rule 239 will now read: "Where you are able to do so, you should open the door using your hand on the opposite side to the door you are opening; for example, use your left hand to open a door on your right-hand side.
"This will make you turn your head to look over your shoulder. You are then more likely to avoid causing injury to cyclists or motor cyclists passing you on the road, or to people on the pavement."
If you injure someone by opening your door you can be punished by a fine of up to £1,000 but no penalty points can be added to the offender’s licence.
Extensive campaigning on the 'Dutch Reach' by Cycling UK has been key to the implementation of the new advice, says Devon Live.
Cycling UK estimate that over 500 people in the UK are injured annually by motorists opening a car door into someone's cycle path.
The issue was further brought into the