Cycling in London has lots of great benefits: you avoid the rush hour crowds on the Underground, you save money on your travel and you get to pack in some exercise on your commute.
But everyone knows that there are dangers to cycling in any major city, especially when you have to share the roads with cars, lorries, busses and mopeds.
One of the big issues that cyclists and motorists face today is "car dooring" - where drivers carelessly open their doors and knock cyclists off of their bikes.
DfT data collected by charity Cycling UK revealed that between 2011 and 2015 there were 3,108 people injured and eight killed by motorists hastily exiting their cars without checking the traffic around them.
The group is now calling for car occupants to adopt the so-called Dutch Reach method, believing that it could save lives on the road.
But what is it and how do you do it? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Dutch Reach?
The technique originated 50 years ago in the Netherlands, where there are currently more than 13 million bikes on the road.
The simple maneuver asks motorists to reach for their car door handle using their far rather than near hand; this means motorists are forced to turn their body towards the door, allowing them to look in their rear view at the traffic behind them.
The idea is that they will have an extra second or two to look over their shoulder and see whether a cyclist is coming.
Opening the door with the adjacent arm also limits how far your car door can open, preventing you from creating a fatal obstacle in the road.
Why are people calling for the Dutch Reach to be adopted?
Some UK cities are starting to build protected paths for cyclists, but in most places, cyclists routes are situated in a "door zone" - between parked cars and the main road.
This means that until cities can invest in better infrastructure for cyclists, they remain at the mercy of drivers.
Cycling UK wrote to transport minister Jesse Norman this week, calling for the launch of an awareness campaign to teach drivers and passengers of the dangers of opening car doors without looking first.
"Dooring" was responsible for 474 accidents across the UK in 2015, according to the Department of Transport (DfT).
Cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen already use the method, while in the Netherlands, the Dutch Reach is taught to children in school.
Being able to perform the Dutch Reach is also a required section of the driving test in Holland.
Now cycling charities are calling for the method to become a necessary component of passing your test here in the UK.
Currently offenders in the UK only face a maximum penalty of just £1,000 for "dooring", even if a cyclist is killed.
"Some people seem to see car dooring as a bit of a joke, but it's not and can have serious consequences," Paul Tuohy, Cycling UK's chief executive, said.
"Cycling UK wants to see greater awareness made about the dangers of opening your car door negligently, and people to be encouraged to look before they open.
"In the Netherlands they are known for practising a method, known sometimes as the Dutch Reach, which we think could be successfully encouraged in the UK."
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