I've heard of it and need to try it, though I always look as a cyclist.
It would take decades to get through to the general population even if all states on the US started teaching it now.

I always keep a metre distance from parking cars since I was caught b y a door once.

Riiiight. Probably nothing more than a few cyclists looking out for other cyclists. There's absolutely no way you could get even 10% of American drivers to adopt that habit. Just because a few here know about it doesn't mean it is catching on.

For many Americans this would be physically impossible to do... given the size of their cars and/or the girth of their bodies.

Wake me up when the Americans finally catch up on the metric system first

Being from the Netherlands, this is not common practice. I've had my share of close encounters with cardoors..

This has been teached to me during my driving lessons, but I also have friends who haven't been taught this at all.

Not to be confused with the "Dutch reach around"

Agree. It's hard enough to convince US drivers that cyclists should be on the road.

Dutch Rudder

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I didn't realize that looking out your window before opening your door had a name...Oh well.

Dutch Oven?