Also, bonus: it helps keep out wind noise and weather. You close the door, the latch locks it in, and it provides better sealing against wind and rain and whatever horrible noise the tires are making that you’re trying really hard not to hear.
It Prevents Door Rattling Like a Shopping Cart
Even if you aren’t an accident-prone loser (knock on wood), the striker still does its job. The striker is basically what prevents the door from rattling around like a jar with a loose lid when you drive over potholes or dirt roads. The latch catches the striker and holds the door throughout the entirety of the travel, so there is no rattling.
And when the door does not rattle, everything should line up better too, like the weather stripping you have around your window, or all those seals that create your air, noise, and dust barrier. So if your ride is quiet and smooth, you can probably thank that stupid little loop for at least one-fifth of the experience.
