Three tips for opening car doors safely

Opening a car door without looking is one of the common causes of accidents for motorcyclists and cyclists, especially in urban areas with high traffic density. Recently, there have been many accidents when people in cars accidentally open the door suddenly, causing nearby vehicles to not have time to react.

In some cases, the victim may fall onto the road and be hit by another vehicle, causing serious consequences. Therefore, opening a car door is not only simple but also requires basic skills to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you.

Mr. Hoang Van Tan - Driving instructor in Hanoi said that in terms of skills, "observing before opening the car door" is a mandatory content in the driving training program of every center. However, although simple, this operation still has many potential dangers if not performed properly.

“In many cases, the person who opens the door carelessly is not the driver but the passenger, even children sitting in the back seat opening the door carelessly is very dangerous. However, if someone in the car opens the door without looking and causes an accident, the biggest responsibility still belongs to the driver,” said Mr. Tan.

To avoid unnecessary risks, this safe driving expert gives 3 important notes when opening car doors as follows:

Look carefully before opening the door.

Right from the time of choosing a parking location, the driver must ensure that the vehicle is placed neatly and in compliance with the Road Traffic Law. Do not stop or park in prohibited areas such as prohibited signs, intersections, bridges, road tunnels or locations where parking is not permitted. At the same time, turn on the turn signal to warn the vehicles behind.

Before opening the door, the person sitting in the car must carefully observe the front and rear with the naked eye and the rearview mirror, especially the driver's side. Only when ensuring safety and no vehicles are on the way, proceed to open the car door.

Use the wrong hand

An effective way to reduce the risk of safety when opening a car door is to use the “Dutch Reach” method – a technique of opening the door with your hand farther from the door. This method forces the occupants to turn around, thereby making it easier to observe behind before opening the door.

Open the door slowly, do not "open" all the way

Using the wrong hand also helps to limit opening the door too wide as when using the hand near the door, reducing the risk of collision. People in the car need to open the door slowly, observe continuously and only open it completely when they are safely out.

In addition, Mr. Tan also recommends that drivers should activate the child lock to prevent active children from opening the rear door, especially the driver's side, to avoid danger when a vehicle approaches from behind.

Opening car doors is clearly regulated in the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order.

Specifically, Article 19 of this law clearly states: "The car door may only be opened when the car has stopped or parked. Before opening the door, the person opening the door must observe the front, back and side of the car door; only when it is safe may the door be opened and exited. Do not leave the car door open if safety is not guaranteed."

Not only is it dangerous, from January 1, 2025, the act of opening a car door without looking will also be strictly punished according to Decree 168/2024/ND-CP.

According to Clause 5, Article 6 of this decree, people who open or leave car doors open unsafely will be fined from 4 to 6 million VND.
If this behavior leads to a traffic accident, the fine will increase to 20 - 22 million VND, and the violator may have up to 10 driving license points deducted.

Even if it causes serious consequences to health, life or property, the violator may be prosecuted under Article 260 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented in 2017).