Normally, navigating through the road network is a straightforward task. If you want to turn onto a street to your left, you go left. To the right, you go right. And yet, in some strange and unique cases, the opposite may be true! Is it a grand scheme to confuse you, or a valid method of traffic management?
Today, we will examine examples from the United States and abroad where this is the case. Places where you jink left to go right, or turn right to go left. It’s counter-intuitive to say the least, and can be downright confusing or dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
![Vidframe Min Top](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/vidframe_min_top1.png)
![Vidframe Min Bottom](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/vidframe_min_bottom1.png)
It might sound maddening, but traffic engineers are not just trying to be funny, and do this for a reason. Let’s get to know the Melbourne Hook Turn and the Michigan Left.
The Michigan Left
Having compared verbal notes on hook turns and Michigan Lefts, I figured these were the same thing. As it turns out, that’s absolutely not the case. They are a special way to go left by going right, but their use case is entirely different.
Michigan lefts are used where a minor road crosses a major divided roadway, like a big highway. In countries that drive on the right, a right turn is no problem. It’s easy enough for cars turning right to join the traffic flow. However, in many cases, it’s desirable to prohibit left turns on to—and off of—the divided highway. It can cause problems as drivers turning left try to cross multiple lanes of high-speed traffic.
![Rect6299](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/rect6299.png)
![Rect6299c](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/rect6299c.png)
The Michigan left gets around this quite simply. Drivers entering the highway from the smaller road may simply turn right. If they wish to continue right, no problem. If they wish to go left, though, they are instead provided with a dedicated U-turn lane in the center of the divided highway. Thus, if you want to go left on to the highway, you first go right, and then grab the immediate opportunity to do a U-turn. A driver turning left traces the shape of a P, so Michigan lefts are sometimes called P-turns.
The same pathing is normally used for drivers on the divided highway, too. They are usually not allowed to turn left on to the smaller road. Instead, they’re directed to overshoot the intersection, take the U-turn lane, and then turn right to gain access to the smaller road.
![Rect6299b](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/rect6299b.png)
![Rect6299d](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/rect6299d.png)
In research from the Federal Highway Administration, the Michigan Left is credited with creating fewer collisions and smoother traffic flow, by virtue of a reduction in traffic light phases. However, they can be frustrating for motorists, as they force a driver to travel a significant distance to get pointed in the direction they desire to travel. Where there is a lot of left-turn traffic, the U-turn lane can also get deeply clogged.
Michigan Lefts aren’t just limited to Michigan, despite the name. They’ve been installed all over the US where crossroads and highways intersect.
They’re used in Melbourne in certain contexts, where they’re called P-turns, and in Brazil, Angola, and Canada, too, along with many other countries besides.
Melbourne uses P-turns too. However, since Australians drive on the left, they’re used in the opposite direction—i.e. for right turns, not left turns.Â
The Hook Turn
The Hook Turn is a useful invention that greatly aids traffic flow in inner-city intersections. It’s best known for its use in Melbourne, Australia, where it lives on to this day.
So how does a hook turn work? Let’s use a diagram, and remember that Australians drive on the left (the opposite of the US). Thus, when making a right turn at an intersection, you must turn across oncoming traffic.
![G20951](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/g20951.png)
![G20951 0](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/g20951-0.png)
![G20951 1](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/g20951-1.png)
To do a hook turn, instead of turning right from the right lane, you instead approach from the leftmost lane when lights are green. As you enter the intersection, you pull over to the left side and wait. Drivers that are travelling straight to continue passing through the intersection, while you wait over on the left. Eventually, the lights will change. As lights go green on the road to your right, you can then turn on to that road and continue your journey.
The hook turn remains supremely valuable in Melbourne. This is because there are a lot of tram tracks criss-crossing the city streets. If drivers were making right turns from the right lane, the trams would continually be held up. Every time a driver turning right was waiting for a gap in opposing traffic, the trams would be stuck.
![20240717 195715](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/20240717_195715-scaled.jpg)
The hook turn was actually the standard way of making a right turn in Australia, once upon a time. However, most states eventually abandoned the practice. Instead, they switched to the more common method of having drivers make their right turns from the innermost lane of the intersection.
Melbourne was the primary holdout, and only for select intersections in inner-city areas—in order to make way for the trams. Research from Monash University suggests trams save 11.25 to 15.64 seconds at each intersection where hook turns are used.
![Somein](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/somein.jpg)
However, there are other cases where hook turns are valid. Cyclists may make hook turns by waiting off to the left in an intersection before they turn to the right as the lights change. South Australian buses also use hook turns at the North Terrace/King William Road intersection to avoid holding up through traffic. Canada, Denmark, and the UK also allow hook turns for cyclists in certain contexts. In the latter case, they are known as “two stage turns.”
Hook turns are widely touted as a Melbourne curio, and used to scare drivers who are nervous about driving in downtown areas. However, they’re generally easy to execute. Road markings indicate the proper waiting area for drivers turning right. One merely needs to enter the intersection, hold until the lights change, and then smoothly execute the right turn as the intersection is empty.
Ultimately, these oddball turns serve a useful purpose. They help keep roads flowing nicely, and avoid frustrating conflicts between traffic flowing in opposing directions.
They can be tricky to learn, particularly if you’re encountering them for the first time at ground level. However, when you’re armed with a proper understanding of where you’re supposed to go, they’re an absolute cinch. Study up, observe the locals, and you’ll be hook turning and Michigan lefting (?) with the best of them!
Image credits: Lewin Day, Out&About with Dayv via YouTube screenshot, diagrams modified from Nandhp, CC BY-SA 3.0, State of Michigan, VicRoads screenshot (YouTube)
I prefer the Hook(er) Turn(ing) tricks on me ha ha
I live in Melbourne and the first Hook turn video at 0:20 shows a car on the far side of the intersection get confused and completely blow his chance to turn right and give up and turn left.
But to be honest it works pretty well. A tram with 50+people on it gets priority over a car with usually one person and most people know not to bother driving in the city. The trams are free in the CBD. just park on the outskirts and tram in if you are able.
Also. good idea to do a head check for red light runners before turning right.
I can’t help but wonder if Apple/Google Maps know how this works?
They do in areas where the map data is up to date. There are some new ones near where I live that haven’t been updated though, so I have to ignore the GPS for a bit to make those turns.
An article like this provides an excellent opportunity to drop this banger on ya, enjoy.
Michigan Left – Arkells
In a hilarious display of dominance, the Canadians blocked access to this video for Americans.
I’ve learned the hook turn after visiting Melbourne a couple of times. But doesn’t that leave you extremely vulnerable to red light beaters? I know I’d be very nervous if I have to sit right in the junction like that.
That and the left turners are basically blocking the people going straight, correct? Of course I’m imparting the US tradition of lazy motion through intersections and “blocking the box”, things Aussies don’t do..
You definitely have to check your mirrors
Usually too much traffic and a speed limit of 40kmh it actually works OK
I moved to Michigan last year and I rather like the Michigan left. It makes a lot of sense. I’m someone who hates sitting around waiting for an opening for a left turn, so I am used to turning right and finding somewhere to make a protected left turn (into a parking lot or whatever) and turning around. So it’s nice to have it baked right into the road ways.
With that said.. One thing about it that irks me is something that I’m unclear on. Some of the turn lanes are pretty wide, and people will treat them as two, and sometimes even three lanes, even if not marked as such. I’m pretty sure unless marked otherwise, those lanes are meant for one vehicle, and when you pull up next to someone in your stupid massive Escalade blocking view of traffic, you’re just making things worse for everyone.
As far as I understand it, when the turn lane is wide enough for 2 cars, and there are 2 or more lanes that you can turn into, it’s meant to be used my multiple vehicles at once, and that’s how I’ve used them, and see others use them, my whole life.
It can be a problem though when the vehicle in the outside lane is massive, and they pull way farther forward, so you, the person on the inside that will likely have a clear lane sooner, can’t see that you have that clear lane, and have to wait for them to get out of the way.
I think trying to use them as 3 lanes, unless marked as such, is unreasonable, and I can’t say I’ve seen it happen, but don’t doubt it has.
So I looked it up.
“Are Michigan Lefts one lane or two?
A single-lane Michigan Left is designed for one vehicle to turn at a time. While some crossovers may appear to be wide enough to fit multiple passenger vehicles side-by-side, that extra room is actually there to accommodate larger vehicles, like tractor trailers and recreational vehicles, that need a wider turning radius.
A multi-lane Michigan Left is designed for two vehicles to turn at a time. Pavement markings, such as arrows, ONLY lettering, and white solid lines, indicate that both lanes may be used to turn. An unmarked median crossover should always be treated as a single-lane crossover.”
from: https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Travel/Safety/Road-User/Michigan-Lefts/Michigan-Left-Brochure.pdf?rev=e4bea28e194e4070b973db40e5f610ce
My anecdote about three cars abreast in a lane is admittedly only something I’ve seen once. I probably shouldn’t act as if it’s a regular occurrence. With that said people squeezing in two abreast is something I see daily.
That actually pretty interesting, I did not know, although it makes sense.
I’m going to have to keep using them incorrectly though, since everyone else does, and it works well 90% of the time, and allows more people to fit in the turn area when there’s a lot of traffic.
TIL. I’m with you though; I like making the unmarked ones two lanes. Everything works great provided the outside driver doesn’t put their nose on the edge of the road and block the inside person’s view (which sadly happens frequently).
You forgot one more thing: diverging diamond interchange. Prior to the intersection at each end of the bridge (over the highway), the traffic is diverging to the opposite side then continue like left-hand-rule-of-road over the bridge before diverging back to the same side on the ground level.
This supposedly helped move the traffic that is entering the highway from the street quicker and more effectively.