Driver warning issued as getting out car incorrectly could lead to £1,000 fine
A simple mistake could see drivers slapped with a hefty four-figure fine under rules introduced last year.
Motorists are being warned that they could find themselves in trouble for getting out of a car incorrectly.
Last year, rules were introduced to the Highway Code that aimed to make road use safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Under the new rules, motorists must use the "Dutch Reach" method when exiting the car - which involves using their opposite hand to open the door, forcing their body to turn towards the back of the car.
While the rules have been in place for some time, motorists may not have broken old habits, or may even be completely unaware of these rules, writes the Mirror.
If you use a method other than the advised "Dutch Reach" to open a door and it ends up causing an accident, a motorist could face a fine of £1,000.
Despite being almost a year and a half on from these additions, some may still not know about them. A YouGov poll commissioned by charity Cycling UK in January 2023 found that 25 percent of 2,168 British adults knew "nothing at all" about the Code's amendments.
Since January last year, the new section under rule 239 reads: "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."
Campaigners group Cycling UK estimates that around 500 people are injured each year by drivers blindly opening their car doors. The group campaigned to have the "Dutch Reach" rule implemented into the Highway code over the last few years.
The term "Dutch Reach" was coined in the Netherlands where it has been used as the standard for exiting a vehicle.
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