Chubby Checker Wants You to Do “The New York Twist” to Avoid Dooring Cyclists

Rock-and-roll legend Chubby Checker is the new face—or, perhaps more accurately, voice—of a new bicycle safety campaign which hopes to prevent doorings in New York City.

The city is leaning into one of Checker’s biggest hits, 1961’s “Let’s Twist Again,” in a PSA urging drivers and passengers to do exactly that before getting out of their cars.

The PSA features the inimitable groove of Checker’s early rock hit over detailed instructions encouraging drivers and passengers to “twist again” in order to look out for cyclists before exiting their vehicle.

The PSA, which is courtesy of New York’s DOT and their Taxi and Limousine Commission, calls the move “The New York Twist.” The method, which teaches drivers and passengers to reach for their door handle with their far hand—also known as the”"Dutch Reach”—is widely used in Holland, where it has been around for at least 50 years and is taught to citizens at a young age, according to anti-dooring advocacy group Dutchreach.org.

“New York City, let’s twist again on four wheels!” said Checker. “Groove your way through the hustle and bustle of the city and join me in the campaign to support safety by doing the New York Twist every time you exit a vehicle.”

NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez added, "Reaching for your car door handle with your far hand can save a life. As more and more New Yorkers continue to embrace the bike boom we've seen in recent years, it's increasingly important for drivers and passengers to 'twist again' and look for passing cyclists as they exit their vehicles," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

President and CEO of bicycle advocacy group Bike New York Ken Podziba said in a statement, “We applaud DOT, TLC, and of course the legendary Chubby Checker, for encouraging car passengers to permanently change the way they open doors in this entertaining but very serious campaign to save lives.”

Nine New York City cyclists were killed by doorings in a reported period from 2017 to 2021. That number comprises over 8% of bike-related fatalities over that period.

The PSA comes at a dangerous time for NYC bike riders, as ten people have already been killed in New York City while biking this year, putting the city on pace to have its deadliest year ever for cyclists.

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