The updated Highway Code includes a new rule to protect cyclists, and drivers could be fined up to £1,000 if they break it.

The 'Dutch Reach' is a technique of opening a car door and requires a driver to use the hand furthest away to open it.

On the passenger side people would use their right hand while on drivers would use their left on the other.

This prompts the driver to turn their body towards the door, enabling them to look over their shoulder to check for other road users before leaving their car.

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The person leaving the car will get a good sight of any cyclists and pedestrians passing that they may have missed if they hadn't checked.

The new section under rule 239 will now read: "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."

People who injure others with a car door can be punished with a fine of up to £1,000 but no penalty points can be added to the offender’s licence.

Cycling UK has carried out extensive campaigning on the 'Dutch Reach' which has been key to its implementation, reports Manchester Evening News.

The group estimates that more than 500 people in the UK are injured annually by motorists opening a car door into someone's cycle path.

The issue was further brought into the public eye in 2016 when Chris Grayling, who was then serving as Transport Secretary, was caught knocking a cyclist off their bike when opening his door on Whitehall.

This technique is borrowed from the Netherlands, where it has always been used as standard for exiting a vehicle.

The latest addition of the Highway Code comes into force on Saturday, January 29.

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