Illinois Launches ‘Dutch Reach’ Public Awareness Campaign to Prevent Dooring Crashes
On June 15, 2026, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias launched a public awareness campaign to promote the “Dutch Reach” method of opening a car door. The initiative aims to prevent “dooring” accidents, where cyclists or scooter riders are struck by a suddenly opened vehicle door. Named after the practice widely taught in the Netherlands, the Dutch Reach instructs drivers and passengers to use the hand farthest from the door to open it. This simple change forces people to turn their bodies, look over their shoulder and check for approaching cyclists before swinging the door into traffic.
The campaign was sparked by the tragic death of 23‑year‑old cyclist Riley O’Neil, who was killed on June 5 when a motorist opened a car door into her path in Chicago. In the days following the crash, advocacy group Bike Lane Uprising urged the Secretary of State’s office to raise awareness of the Dutch Reach technique. In response Giannoulias announced an educational campaign with the message “Look, then open. It’s the Dutch Reach,” and pledged to make the life‑saving practice common knowledge for all Illinois drivers and passengers.
According to Giannoulias, the outreach effort will be promoted through social media, digital ads and printed materials, and it builds on a 2019 state law that requires driver education courses to teach the Dutch Reach. That law was championed by cycling advocates after a series of dooring crashes. Giannoulias said Riley O’Neil’s death is a heartbreaking reminder of why every driver and passenger needs to be aware of people on bikes. He noted that the Dutch Reach technique is simple and costs nothing to practice but can prevent tragedies. Christina Whitehouse, founder of Bike Lane Uprising, praised the campaign and said O’Neil’s death underlined the need for better education. She explained that using the opposite hand to open a car door naturally causes a person to turn their head and check for cyclists, adding that it only takes a second to save a life.
The campaign will encourage all motorists to adopt the Dutch Reach every time they exit a vehicle. With cycling, e‑scooter and rideshare use on the rise in Illinois cities, dooring incidents have become a major safety concern. In 2024, more than 300 dooring crashes were reported in Chicago alone. Advocates hope the new outreach effort, combined with the state’s driver education curriculum, will help reduce those numbers. Illinois residents can learn more about the campaign on the Secretary of State’s website. By raising awareness and changing habits, officials hope to honor Riley O’Neil’s memory and prevent similar tragedies.