hook turn

The hook turn is a driving maneuver that is often required when turning into city streets where there is not enough room for a turning lane, or where trams, cable cars etc require a free center of the road in order to stick to their timetables.

It is performed at a four way, ( + ), intersection.
If you are coming from the bottom of the screen wanting to turn right, instead of moving to the center of the road, you stay on the left and place your car in from of the traffic coming from the left. When the traffic from the bottom stops for the traffic lights, you cross the road in from of the traffic you have just cut off.

In the city of Melbourne ( Victoria, Australia ), these types of turns have become quite common, where they were relatively few 20yrs or so ago. These turns are legal, in fact are the only way to turn at these intersections. Anything else is illegal & quite dangerous.

The rules for making a hook turn as set out in the 2001 edition Melway, Page 19:

To make a hook turn the driver must take, in sequence, each of the following steps:

1. Approach and enter the intersection from as near as practicable to the far left side of the road that the driver is leaving.
   


2. Move forward, keeping as near as practicable 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 that the driver is entering.
   


3. Remain at the position reached under step 2 until the traffic lights on the road that the driver is entering change to green.
   


4. Turn right into that road.

Again according to Melway, 2001, page 19, the intersections in the CBD of Melbourne which require a hook turn are:

• From Elizabeth Street into Franklin Street
• From Elizabeth Street into A'Beckett Street
• From Elizabeth Street into LaTrobe Street
• From Elizabeth Street into Lonsdale Street
• From Elizabeth Street into Collins Street
  


• From William Street into LaTrobe Street
• From William Street into Lonsdale Street
• From William Street into Bourke Street
• From William Street into Collins Street
  


• From LaTrobe Street into William Street
• From LaTrobe Street into Queen Street
• From LaTrobe Street into Elizabeth Street
• From LaTrobe Street into Swanston Street
• From LaTrobe Street into Russell Street
• From LaTrobe Street into Exhibition Street
  


• From Bourke Street into Queen Street
• From Bourke Street into Russell Street
• From Bourke Street into Exhibition Street
  


• From Collins Street into King Street
• From Collins Street into William Street
• From Collins Street into Queen Street
• From Collins Street into Elizabeth Street
• From Collins Street into Russell Street
• From Collins Street into Exhibition Street

Please note: In Australia, cars are driven on the left hand side of the road.