The pandemic sparked renewed interest in cycling, both as a refreshing form of transportation and a breezy way to stay active. And with warmer weather on the approach, it’s likely even more riders will take to the streets. As such, both police and transportation safety organizations have a role to play in making sure cyclists, drivers, and other road users share the road responsibly.
Busy roads present a number of risks. For cyclists, these include injury by collisions with other motor vehicles, one of the most common being incidents when riders crash into an open door or are hurt when swerving to avoid this sudden threat.
“This is referred to as dooring, and it is an unrecognized problem that has very serious consequences,” says Teresa Di Felice, Government and Community Relations with CAA Club Group. “Of course, nobody wants to be the person that opens the door on a cyclist, and no cyclist wants to get doored, and yet it happens all the time.”
For its part, the CAA partnered with Share the Road Cycling Coalition to launch a campaign in 2018 to teach drivers about the “Dutch Reach” technique for opening car doors. The method, which was created in the Netherlands, involves opening car doors with the driver or occupant’s far hand, thereby forcing them to swivel and check for oncoming cyclists before pulling the handle.
“There are a lot of bicycles on the roads in the Netherlands, so the Dutch Reach has become a standard part of driver education,” says Di Felice. “Because it’s so ingrained in their culture, there are almost no dooring incidents in the entire country.”
In 2020, the road safety agency added social media support and a new Dutch Reach animated video to the mix. For Bike Month in June 2021, it aims to make the campaign even bigger and share its content with organizations that can help spread the message.
“With more and more people cycling, now is a good time for people to develop new habits and hone the safe driving skills they already have,” adds Di Felice.
Moving the needle
While dooring incidents are still a risk, the Dutch Reach method is catching on. A survey of CAA members shows that awareness of the Dutch Reach has significantly increased since 2018 among non-cyclists (24% in 2020 vs. 8% in 2018) and those who cycle (33% in 2020 vs. 14% in 2018). Moreover, at least half of those who do the Dutch Reach do it when they are parked in a place where there could be cyclists – more than doubling since 2018.
Still, there’s always room for improvement. This is especially as more cyclists enter the equation and municipalities expand infrastructure to support cycling safety. Herein, Di Felice hopes to work with law enforcement agencies to bring more consistency to the way dooring incidents are reported.
“By collecting more consistent data from services across the province, we can get a better understanding of the issue and focus our awareness efforts,” says Di Felice. “Sharing information on how to track and enforce dooring incidents could be beneficial for encouraging police services which do not currently track dooring incidents.”
Changing the stats
There’s room on the road for everyone, but it takes everyone to make it safe. This is the message CAA has been conveying since it was first formed, and it continues to inform the agency’s mission.
“When CAA first started, cars were relatively new on the roads, and they were interacting with bicycles, horse-driven carriages, trolleys, and pedestrians,” says Di Felice. “The modes of transportation have evolved, but the same risks exist. So our mission has also been to work with partners like police agencies and municipalities to make sure everyone on the road co-exists safely.
Learn more about CCA’s Dutch Reach campaign by visiting caasco.com/cycling
