the last time i went to melbourne was actually the first time i had ever driven there and, as i was staying in lonsdale street, i was driving in and out of the cbd a fair bit. i wasn't prepared for those hook turns, and i ended up just trying to avoid intersections where you had to do them instead, even if it meant going a longer way around than i had to. as i'm planning on going back later this year, i did a bit of checking to see what i could find out about this strange manouevre. it really is quite simple, if a bit weird. here's an explanation from the vicroads site:
At some intersections in Melbourne where trams operate, to turn right you must do a 'hook turn'. These intersections are clearly marked, with a sign hanging overhead or on the side of the road.
[url="http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/8E49A9CE-A921-4CDF-91DC-3958E92300F9/0/HookTurn.jpg"]
![[Image: HookTurn.jpg]](http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/8E49A9CE-A921-4CDF-91DC-3958E92300F9/0/HookTurn.jpg)
[/url]
To do a hook turn a driver must:
1. Approach and enter the intersection from, as near as practicable, to the far left side of the road.
2. Move forward, keeping to the left of the intersection and clear of any marked foot crossing until the driver is as near as practicable to the far side of the road the driver is entering.
3. Then wait until the traffic lights on the road they are entering into turn green before they make the turn.
if you need to find out more about victorian road rules, here's a link to the vicroads info: [url="http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Licensing/InformationForTourists.htm"]clicky[/url]
yes, i've heard about that ken livingston type proposal. it would probably work ok for people who live permanently in the cbd, but it could be a bit awkward if you do what i did and stay in a place there for a week or two. there are quite a few serviced apartments in the cbd and i stayed at one and took my car so i could see some places round about melbourne. even if you rent a car you still need somewhere to park it....
public transport is fine for most destinations, but not for everywhere. i went to ballarat, geelong and along the great ocean road as well as spending time in the city itself, and next time i wanted to spend a couple of days in the gippsland district, so i'll be driving again.
It's a Left Wing "Thingy... <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> " You can't go right until you go left first <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />
I think it's a better idea than the conventional "right-lane-right-turn" or the annoying "No right turn" at every Sydney intersection.
[quote name='POWERZONE' post='4517' date='May 26 2008, 06:11 PM']It's a Left Wing "Thingy... <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> " You can't go right until you go left first <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />
I think it's a better idea than the conventional "right-lane-right-turn" or the annoying "No right turn" at every Sydney intersection.[/quote]
it's just a jump to the left
and then a step to the right
With your hands on your [color="#ffffff"].........[/color] Wheel
[quote name='PeterJMelb' post='4537' date='May 26 2008, 08:28 PM']Surely there are no "hook" turns in Sydney.
Hook turns are purely for the convenience of the trams in the CBD.[/quote]
Sometimes I think they should have Left-right hook turns in Sydney as well (although not on a freeway <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':wub:' /> )
But it would be better for traffic flow. Perhaps they could make usage of the Bus Lane at the intersections?
Most people find hook turns weird the first time round and then you get used to it. Once I was a newbie to Melbourne driving - forget hook turns, the right turn when green when there is no opposing traffic scared me. Now its all blase. Do you know that you can drive on an overseas license for 3 months before you got to go and change your license to a VIC one... and that's when they check if you can follow the rules....pretty stupid really. Imagine the accidents you could have been involved in.
How do you think I feel? I'm a yank waiting for a visa to work in Melbourne and after seeing this I think I'll stick to walking. <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
[quote name='Ikyoto' post='5634' date='Jul 22 2008, 02:07 AM']How do you think I feel? I'm a yank waiting for a visa to work in Melbourne and after seeing this I think I'll stick to walking. <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />[/quote]
And you will have to learn to drive on the left side of the road! I think that would be much harder than hook turns. <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />
That's the easy part. I just get to drive like my current 97 year old neighbor does here!
No... really. He moved into his home when the street in front was one way and two lanes thinner. In the last 60 years it's been expanded and it's both ways now. But he's now of the age where he either forgets or just enjoys scaring the #### out of people.
I love city driving - but I HATED driving in Sydney - too many one-way streets, and no signage for where to go OTHER than the one way streets!
yeah i hate one way streets too. i had the same problem when i was in hobart...but that was years ago so not sure if that is still the case. any tassie people reading this??? <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':unsure:' />
there are no hook turns in Sydney
I don't drive into the city because of those hook turns... They are one of the worst road laws to come into Melbourne!! I hate them!!
That is a nice clear explanation. Thanks for that.
[quote name='adayvis' timestamp='1303378764' post='33211']
there are no hook turns in Sydney[/quote]
Which makes me wonder - does any other city besides Melbourne have hook turns?
I can see why hook turns exist, and they do work as long as everyone knows how to do them. My question was really whether or not you find hook turns anywhere else. Are there any other cities in Australia, or for that matter in the world, where you have to do hook turns?
nah sorry i am not sure. i did not see any in perth. and i don't remember any in hobart but it has been a while since i have been there.
not all streets in the Melboure CBD have hook turns. if you do it two or three time you get used to it and it all starts to make sense.
I'm not saying that hook turns don't make sense, They do, and the manouevre itself is relatively straightforward. The problem I found was knowing which intersections required hook turns and which ones didn't (other than the obvious one that if there are no tram lines, there are no hook turns). They are not very well signposted.