13.3 Dooring & the Dutch Reach, Bicycle Boxes, Separated Bike Lanes & Common Bicycle Crashes
Key Takeaways
The Dutch Reach means opening a car door with the hand farther from it, after checking the rearview and side mirrors, so the body turns toward approaching bicyclists.
Massachusetts bicyclists should ride at least three feet from parked cars to stay out of the door zone.
Massachusetts drivers must stop behind a bicycle box at a red light, even when the box is empty.
When turning right across a Massachusetts separated bike lane, drivers must yield to bicyclists and pedestrians crossing.
In the four common car-bicycle crash types shown in the Massachusetts Driver's Manual (left cross, right hook, drive out and sideswipe), the motor vehicle is at fault.
Bicycle infrastructure is spreading across Massachusetts, and the Manual expects drivers to know what it looks like and what it requires. It also names the crash patterns that drivers cause, so instructors can teach students to prevent them.
The Danger of Open Doors
Open vehicle doors are a very serious threat to bicyclists. Before opening a door, drivers and passengers should:
- Check the rearview mirror.
- Check the side-view mirror.
- Open the door with the far hand, the hand farther from the door.
This is the "Dutch Reach," named for its origin in the Netherlands. Reaching across turns your body, so you can see approaching cyclists, and it stops the door opening too fast. It also protects your door from being damaged or torn off by a passing motor vehicle.
Bicyclists should ride at least three feet from parked cars, whether or not there is a bike lane, to stay out of the "door zone." Remember the penalty in section 13.2: drivers and passengers can be fined up to $100 for opening a door into a cyclist, and an opened door is a Standard of Fault for crashes (section 7.2).
Bicycle Boxes
Bicycle boxes are green pavement markings with a bicycle symbol, painted at intersections before the crosswalk and across the entire travel lane. They give cyclists a safe place to wait at a red light and to turn.
| Road user | Rule |
|---|---|
| Drivers | Stop behind the bicycle box, even when it is empty, and wait for green |
| Cyclists turning left | Stop in the box, move to its left side, signal and wait for green |
| Cyclists going straight or right | Stay to the right in the box, staggered, and wait for green |
Two-stage left turns
Bicycle boxes also let cyclists make a two-stage left turn, instead of crossing several lanes:
- Step 1: go straight across the intersection on green, and stop in the bicycle box for the street you are turning onto.
- Step 2: wait for that street's green light and go straight.
Drivers should expect cyclists waiting in a box at the far corner and then crossing ahead of them when the light changes.
Separated Bicycle Lanes
Separated bike lanes, also called cycle tracks or protected bike lanes, physically separate cyclists from motor vehicles. Where they cross an intersection they are often shown by green pavement with a bicycle symbol. They are not for pedestrians, who must stay on the sidewalk.
| Road user | Rule |
|---|---|
| Drivers at intersections | Stop at the stop line so pedestrians and cyclists can cross safely |
| Drivers turning right | Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists who are crossing |
| Drivers turning across any bike lane | Check for oncoming cyclists, which may mean looking to the side and behind |
| Cyclists | Ride in the proper direction, ride in the lane through intersections while watching for turning vehicles, and yield to crossing pedestrians |
Common Bicycle Crash Scenarios
The Manual shows four common car-bicycle crashes, and says the motor vehicle is at fault in all of them:
| Crash | What happens | Prevention for drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Left cross | A driver turning left across oncoming traffic hits a cyclist coming straight through, often hidden behind other vehicles | Treat oncoming cyclists like any oncoming vehicle and yield. Look past larger vehicles |
| Right hook | A driver passes a cyclist, or comes up beside one, then turns right across the cyclist's path | Don't turn right across a cyclist you just passed. Check the right mirror and blind spot; slow down and turn behind the cyclist |
| Drive out | A driver pulls out of a driveway, alley or side street into a cyclist's path | Stop and look both ways for cyclists as well as cars, including on the sidewalk side |
| Sideswipe | A driver passing in the same lane misjudges the cyclist's speed or the space needed and hits them | Allow at least four feet; wait if there isn't room; don't underestimate a cyclist's speed |
Drivers must always watch for cyclists hidden by vehicles or buildings, and must not underestimate a cyclist's speed or the space needed to pass. Cyclists can make themselves more visible and reduce their crash risk by riding farther left in the lane. Drivers should expect cyclists to do that, and it is lawful: cyclists may use the full lane (section 13.2).
Bringing It Together
| Infrastructure or marking | Driver's key duty |
|---|---|
| Sharrow | Watch for cyclists; leave room when passing |
| Bike lane (solid lines) | Enter only to turn on or off the road, after checking for cyclists |
| Advisory bike lane (dashed) | You may use it when necessary, but yield to cyclists first |
| Green pavement | Look for cyclists before crossing it; don't stop on it at a red light |
| Bicycle box | Stop behind it, even when empty |
| Separated bike lane | Stop at the stop line; yield when turning right; check behind when crossing |
Turning Crash Patterns Into Habits
- Make the Dutch Reach a habit. Have students practice it at the end of every lesson, as part of shutting down the vehicle.
- Practice right turns with cyclists in mind: check the mirror, check over the shoulder, and merge into the bike lane only when it is clear and only to turn, as section 10.2 allows.
- Discuss crash scenes. Show the four crash types and ask the student which check would have prevented each one.
What is the 'Dutch Reach' method the Manual recommends?
Opening the door slowly with the near hand while watching the side mirror
Leaning out of the window to look back before using the near hand
Honking before opening the door so cyclists know it is about to open
Opening the door with the far hand after checking mirrors
A driver reaches a red light where a green bicycle box is painted ahead of the stop line, and no cyclist is in it. Where must the driver stop?
Behind the bicycle box, even though it is empty
Inside the box, as long as no cyclist is present
Anywhere before the intersection, because boxes are advisory
At the crosswalk line, on top of the box
A driver passes a bicyclist and then immediately turns right across the cyclist's path, causing a crash. Which crash type is this, and who does the Manual say is at fault?
A drive out, and fault is shared equally
A sideswipe, and the bicyclist is at fault for not signaling
A left cross, and the bicyclist is at fault for riding on the right
A right hook, and the motor vehicle is at fault
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.