Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Road Trip II: Curse of the Hook Turns

Here I go writing sequels again.
If I can do that when I get published I’ll make a real success of my self.

Just a quick and probably pointless word about hook-turns, which came up in my last post.
Lisa from Lit and Life asked if they meant you turn in front of traffic going in the same direction.
Well you do, but you leave your turn until after the lights change.

Here is a piccie that I borrowed from Wikimedia Commons (and slightly modified).
I hope it makes what happens clear.
To further muddy the water I’ve included the instructions on how to do a hook turn from the VicRoads web site.

“A hook turn is a right turn from the left lane. If turning right at an intersection with traffic lights and a ‘Right Turn from Left Only’ hook turn sign, you must make a hook turn so as not to delay trams. To do a hook turn you must:
1. approach and enter the intersection from the left lane and indicate that you are turning right
2. move forward to the far left side of the intersection, keeping clear of the pedestrian crossings
3. remain stopped until the traffic lights on the road you are turning into have changed to green, then turn right.”


There if you are ever in Melbourne (or Ontario in Canada where I am reliably informed hook turns also happen) you’ll be equipped.

If, that is, the wombats don’t get you first.
The wombat piccie is not mine, it also is from Wikimedia.

No wombats were harmed in the making of this post.

6 comments:

Heather G. said...

Nope, my mind is still baffled by hook turns! But the wombat and the other piccies were nice! I think I'll die and take some with me if I ever have to drive on the left side of the road!

Kristen M. said...

Oh, I'm so confused! Of course, I've started avoiding a certain part of our town where they have just installed a traffic circle. Not because I can't figure out traffic circles but because this specific one is new to me. So mental!

We have a wombat stuffed animal here ... it's just a little barrel with a nose. :) Looks about right!

Jenners said...

I think if there were hook turns in NJ, we would all be dead within a month.

And wombats are not at all what I imagined. I think the word "bat" threw me off.

Lisa said...

Holy crap--even with instructions, it sounds dangerous!

Josie said...

We go to Toronto (Ontario, Canada) frequently and I had no idea that what you described was a hook turn! Apparently, I've experienced it many times and never knew it to be so unusual!

Al said...

Hi Heather,
I felt pretty much about driving on the right side. The couple of times I have done it I didn't give myself too many grey hairs!

Hi Kristen,
Deb avoids any intersection where there are hook turns like crazy. Traffic circles? We call them round-abouts here. You simply can't avoid them here, they are everywhere.

Hi Jenners,
What they'd drive you all around the bend?
No wombats aren't at all "batty" now I am going to have to do a post on Numbats.

Hi Johanna,
I suppose it is what you are used to. There are a few places around the world that has hook turns, they usually have trams tracks to keep clear.