The fool-proof ‘door handle line’ which could save you £100s & a complicated insurance claim… learn the expert’s ways

DRIVERS are only just realising there is a genius way to use their car’s door handle to save them hundreds.

An exceptionally slim minority of the population know that their car door handles can be used to make driving manoeuvres that much easier.

A car expert has taken to TikTok to demonstrate five top tips that 90 per cent of people don’t know about.

1. Preventing door clashes

TikTok user @dongcheshijie starts by explaining how useful the position of the door handle on your car can be to help with opening your door in narrow spaces.

She says that parking spaces are getting narrower and narrower, and that if you scratch another car while opening your door you might be liable for $500USD in compensation.

But, Dongcheshijie says: “When you open the door and get out of the car, keep an eye on the door handle next to you.

“When the door handle is on the same level as your door frame, no matter how you open the door, you will not touch the car next to you.”

2. Adjusting your mirrors

The car expert continued by revealing the best hack for properly adjusting your rearview mirrors.

Again, doing this properly involves the handles on your side doors.

Dongcheshijie said: “When adjusting the left rearview mirror, turn the front door handle to the lower right corner of the rearview mirror.”

To adjust the right rearview mirror, it’s the same process but flipped.

“For the right rearview mirror, just adjust the front door handle to the lower left corner of the rearview mirror,” she says.

By doing so, she promises you will have the best view of cars coming from behind.

3. Parallel parking

The crowd-splitting, marmite-esque way of parking, Dongcheshijie explains, can be made much easier if drivers use their door handles.

She said: “When parking on the side, stare at the rearview mirror on the right.

“When you see that the front door handle intersects with the curb, turn the steering wheel fully to the left and the car will enter the parking space smoothly.”

All you really need to do is pay attention to when the curb meets the mirror, on either side you’re parking on, as this informs you when you need to crank the steering wheel in the opposite direction to align everything.

4. Stopping in front of a car

Fourthly, the car expert says that the door handle on other vehicles can also prove useful in terms of judging when drivers need to stop.

Dongcheshijie noted that if a car is perpendicular to the front of your vehicle, any door handle on the side of the car facing you could be used to know when to stop.

She said: “If you encounter an unmanned car directly in front of you while driving, keep your eyes on the door handle.

“When you can no longer see the handle anymore, immediately step on the brakes.

“The distance will be exactly 10 centimetres away.”

5. Reversing the car

Dongcheshijie also cautions keeping an eye on the driver’s front door handle in the rearview mirror while backing into a parking space or garage.

When a driver sees the middle of the handle meet the curb or the steps at the back of the garage, that’s when they should stop.

According to the car expert, doing so gives them the perfect 30-centimeter spacing between the car and the edge of the parking spot or garage wall.

Dongcheshijie’s top tips quickly went viral, having amassed hundreds of thousands of likes – and several hundreds of comments thanking her.

One user said: “Sister is saving lives every day.”

Another said: “I swear I trust this lady with my life.”

While a third added: “Thank you sister you have made my life better.”

Dozens of tips have been shared on TikTok, with users taking to the app to explain everything from how to find hidden features of your car to how to keep the interior tidy.

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Neha Dhillon

February 5, 2024 11:33 pm