Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy in the forthcoming cycle safety review to include the Dutch Reach within the driving test to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths from the car-dooring of cyclists.

Leaving a vehicle and checking for oncoming cyclists, pedestrians and other traffic before opening the door is already part of the DVSA's National Standards for driving. Rule 239 of the Highway Code states: ‘You MUST ensure you do not hit anyone when you open your door. Check for cyclists or other traffic’. It is safer for your passengers (especially children) to get out of the vehicle on the side next to the kerb’.

Under the Cycle Safety Review announced in September, the Department will be considering a number of cycle safety issues, but for obvious reasons it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the review.