This Is Why Dutch People Never Open A Car Door With Their Left Hand

Jul 22, 2018 by apost team

If you're like most automobile owners in the United States, chances are that you tend to open your driver's side door with your left hand automatically when you're getting ready to exit. This seemingly harmless action could actually result in tragic death or injury of an innocent person! That statement may sound dramatic, but it's actually true. Numerous accidents have been caused simply by opening a driver's side door with the left hand.

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You may wonder why it matters so much with which hand you open your car door with after you park alongside a street or sidewalk. The reason is simple. When you open with the left hand you're far less likely to notice an approaching bicyclist than if you cross over and use your right hand. The mere act of using the right hand to grab the door handle forces you to turn your body, allowing you to notice out of the corner of your eye if someone is walking or riding a bicycle in the direction of your car.

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This habit is especially vital when you drive on crowded city streets where pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists share the same limited space on the roads.

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Statistics show that dooring, which is the popular name for accidents involving bicyclists crashing into the opened doors of parked cars, is a disturbingly common occurrence. In fact, an Illinois Department of Transportation study of bicycle accidents taking place in the city of Chicago conducted in 2011 showed that a staggering 336 cyclists were involved in dooring accidents in that year alone!

In the Netherlands, where more than 30 percent of the population relies on bicycles as their main means of transportation, the statistics of cyclists involved in dooring accidents are, unsurprisingly, much better than in the US. One reason for these lower rates is the Dutch population's widespread practice of the very safety tip that we just mentioned.

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Many vehicle drivers, cab riders, and passengers in the Netherlands have made a habit of using the opposite hand to open their car doors, which causes them to be much more likely to take a quick glance over their shoulder. That extra glance is responsible for saving lives!

Now that you know the potential danger of opening a car door carelessly it's up to you to help raise awareness. Your willingness to pass on this crucial tip could mean the difference between life or death for an innocent bicyclist! Feel free to let us know your reaction to learning this valuable piece of safety information.