Have an ACT license, going to Melbourne for business. Heard from friends that there are certain differences between driving in Canberra vs Melbourne. Anyone care to elaborate?
Difference in driving in Melbourne
UncommonName on 20/06/2016 - 15:10
Last edited 20/06/2016 - 15:10
Last edited 20/06/2016 - 15:10
Comments
- 1
- 2
"They drive as aggressive as in Sydney, just slower."
We have speed cameras…everywhere and massive fines.
People are beaten into submission.
I drive from Port Melbourne to Geelong a lot, and the expressway is full of people doing 80 in a 100 zone.
Going from work to home, I drive along the M5 / Hume and there are speed traps everywhere. Still, everyone is doing 120 in the 110 zone and the cops don't bat an eyelid. You need to be really doing 140 before you attract their undivided attention.
Cameras, not actual cops.
The fines are pretty huge and you only need to be doing, I think, 104 in a 100 zone to be got.
The Melbourne Geelong road pretty much permanently has roadworks with temporary 80km/h zones and portable cameras so people may be reacting to those.
Lots of very straight roads. No actual need to use the steering wheel = many, many motorists using their smart phones to update their facebook status etc while driving.
I’ve not lived in the ATC, but in Melbourne these are examples of most of the things I see each day on my commute;
When on the road, you should not be interested in getting from A to B. You are there to cause maximum inconvenience, risk and annoyance to other drivers.
Every second counts, so don’t worry about having a crash. All manoeuvres are worth the risk.
It’s always your right of way any everyone else will always avoid you.
In a crash, it’s always the other persons fault for not avoiding you.
Only speeding causes crashes, this is supported by both the government and police policies. Anything else is safe.
Tailgate no matter what speed or lane, even if the other lanes are empty. The lane you are in is yours; other drivers should not be in it.
On a single lane road, drive way under the speed limit, if anyone tries to overtake, then speed up to way over the speed limit. It will teach them a lesson that it’s your road, especially if they crash.
If you even happen to look into your mirror and see another car behind you, slow down, no matter what lane or speed. If they dare to change lane and go past, then speed up. If you see someone approaching in another lane, change lane in front of them and slow down (again speed up when they try to get past).
If your lane on the freeway is ending, always wait until the last second to merge, ensure you cut someone up and then slow down to hold up the traffic as much as possible. Use the emergency lane and grass if necessary.
If the traffic ahead is slowing immediately change lane and tailgate the car in front, especially if changing lane cuts someone up, chances are they’ll brake hard or cause a pile up to avoid you. Don’t worry, you will not be involved, just drive on.
Always drive in the right lanes on the freeway below the speed limit. Again, slow down for any approaching cars behind you.
If you nearly cause a crash and someone dares to beep at you as a warning, your first instinct should be to beep back, do not let it interrupt your manoeuvre.
If your car is running rough and starts to break down, do not pull over in a convenient location. Instead, keep going and preferably break down in the right lane of the freeway or at a roundabout or intersection to cause maximum inconvenience.
If there are a few cars waiting for a right turn at the traffic lights, do not join the queue. Instead, go past in the “straight ahead” lanes, then attempt to push in to turn right at the lights. Don’t worry about the traffic behind you going straight on, they will kindly stop.
White lines, arrows and markings on the road are there to make it look nicer, they have no meaning. Particularly ignore any arrows indicating your lane is for turning, is ending or is splitting away from the freeway – until you hit the emergency lane or grass, then cut up whatever car you happen to be next to. They will avoid you.
Do not slow down or look when joining a roundabout, chances are anyone already on the roundabout will avoid you.
When you leave someone’s house, no matter what time of the night, sound your horn. Don’t worry about people sleeping, it’s important that they know you are leaving the vicinity.
Don’t drive out of your driveway carefully, particularly ignore any pedestrians on the footpath. Chances are they will come off worse if they dare to walk across your driveway as you set off.
At a red light, if it’s just changed to red, keep going, chances are anyone setting off on the green light or any pedestrians will avoid you.
If you decide to stop either;
Approach very slowly and stop a good distance from the lights or
Approach at speed then stop past the line.
If you stop at the line, then constantly edge forward until you are halfway over the line it will save vital fractions of a second.
When the light goes on green, particularly a right turn light, do not set off. Make sure you hold up the traffic as much as possible and let as few cars through the green light as possible.
When approaching a green light that’s been green for a while, slow down, then as it changes to orange/red, speed up and race through. Chances are, you’ll be able to prevent the cars behind you from getting through.
When stopping at lights, always change lane at the very last second or even once stopped, try then to push into another lane for no reason. Other cars will let you.
When setting off at a green lights, again immediately change lane.On a multilane road or freeway, regularly change lane for no reason, but always ensure you either cut someone up, are tailgating or are holding up the traffic.
When joining the freeway from an on-ramp, you have 2 options either;
Join as early as possible crossing the solid white lines and chevrons, even any grassed area or
Join as late as possible and use part of the emergency lane or grass verge if needed.
Do both of these without regard for other traffic on the freeway and always way over or under the speed limit.
Then tailgate the car you’ve merge behind for a while before moving to the next lane and drive in their blind spot or
move straight to the outside lane, again regardless of other traffic. Once there, sit under the speed limit.
Additionally, you can potential save vital seconds by attempting to overtake the car joining the freeway in front of you as they try to join. Don’t worry if they crash, it’s their fault. You could also use the emergency lane to undertake a car that’s just merged in front of you and then cut them up and brake in front of them.When leaving the freeway using an off-ramp, you have 2 options either;
Drive in the outside lane (below the speed limit) and cross all lanes to the off-ramp at the last second regardless of traffic or,
(particularly if there’s an on ramp, just before your off-ramp), move over to the left way to early, cross any solid lines or chevrons (or grass) and hopefully prevent anyone from joining the freeway at the previous on ramp.I'm sure I've missed some stuff.
Take a deep breath.. lol
Epic rant
Probably my biggest ever online!
Hope you enjoyed the dry humour though!
You forgot the most important one!
When you are turning right, and it is a 2 lane road that has no right turn traffic light, make sure you do not indicate until the front and everyone is stuck behind you. This was, they have no opportunity to get past you, and you will get to turn when the light turns orange.
You forgot when entering a freeway be sure to merge at the last moment 30km slower than the oncoming traffic. Don't worry about checking that you don't cut someone off, its OK if they have to slam on the brakes, even in the wet.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading that!
Well done Ozzy. I'm sure i've heard of your car/truck breaking down on the right-lane of the ring rd nearly every morning.
The sad part is for us Mlbn drivers - all of us have either witnessed or are guilty of every point that Ozzy mentions.In summary - Come & enjoy the leisurely drive in Melbourne!
For Canberra:
(1) There's the stupid 40km/hr rule all day (8:00 - 16:00) within the slightest vicinity of a school.
Not just normal pickup/drop off windows (8:00-9:30 and 14:30-16:00) like it is everywhere else (kids shouldn't be playing on the road during school hours anyway).(2) Avoid Northbourne Ave like the plague
(3) Also, you need to follow this speed guide for driving on the Parkway/Monaro/GDE:
- Take the posted speed limit
- add 50%
- then add a little bit more (Making sure that your vehicle will be able to brake before the speed cameras)
Otherwise you'll have people abusing you for driving too slow.For Melbourne:
- Hook Turns (CBD)
- No speed tolerance on the speed cameras (so you need to watch the speed the entire time)
I drove through Melbourne for the first time a couple of years ago (I'm from Brissy) - hook turns will definitely give you pause for the first time you experience them, but after a few seconds it will make sense. Otherwise, the driving is basically the same.
People have said it but ill say it again. HOOK TURNS!!!
Too many muppets i see in the middle of the road blocking it trying to turn, everyone beeping at them but they are totally oblivious to that too.youre also allowed to do U-turns at traffic lights in Victoria (illegal everywhere else in Australia).
if you ride a motorcycle you can park on the footpath (best perk ever).
source: recently moved to Melbourne from Adelaide.
I agree with the rants above regarding bad driving on the highways though - lots of tailgaters, people who change lanes with nowhere near enough space, and last-minute "multi lane changes" to enter/exit freeways.
EDIT - oh, and avoid hoddle street and punt road unless travelling after 8pm or early on a weekend. that road gets totally clogged especially when footy is on at the MCG (which is all the time on weekends).
One of the fiercest places for fines is the CBD, particularly along Flinders St in either direction. There are hanging speed cameras (not hidden, but they look more like those dome security cameras) and they will get you every time. While a lot of the inner suburbs are 50km/h, the CBD is 40km/h.
Everyone drives like a nutter.
Once you reach Victoria border just stick to the SPEED LIMIT!
Speed camera's hidden on the out-side of an overhanging bridge, also on the other side of large road signs.
Don't go over the speed at all on highways.By law, you should only turn when the light turns green in the direction you are turning into, NOT do turn when the light becomes red from where you are turning.
Also some areas in thw CBD has a speed zone of only 40km. Watch out the speed signs.
Turning right from the left hand lane at some intersections in the cbd. And TRAMS! Omg trams… when they stop make sure you stop too, because people get out in the middle of the road and cross the road in front of you to get to the curb. Also dont drive on the tram rails otherwise in the wet you will slide a mile, even just normally its not advisable. So just make sure to drive to either side of the tram rails in the middle of A LOT of roads. Just remember be afraid of the trams, very afraid lol and you should be fine.
In Melbourne, if you hit a pedestrian, there is a significantly lower chance that it is a politician.
In serious though, its not hook turns but trams generally that will cause grief… remember to stop… and also dont try too hard to go around the left side as you will usually find a parked car there in your way!
remember there are a few toll roads, so register your car with citylink to avoid fines.
when driving on the freeway stay middle lanes as much as possible, if you are in the right lane you need to speed to avoid being raged, so just stay out of it… and the speed limit will most likely change 5 times within 2km.
There's a speed camera at the bottom most points where it flattens out in both citylink tunnels, so make sure you're not speeding mid way through the tunnels both ways.
The other thing you'll notice about Melbourne is the 40 trillion trucks that will hog the right lane and tailgate, overtake you like they are in a porche 911. Be warned trucks take no prisoners in VIC, escpecially on the major freeways M1, Tulla etc.
You do not need to indicate out of a round-about in Victoria, which I wish we did like every other state.
- 1
- 2
Sydney driver here. I have driven in both cities and can give the outsider view…
Canberra: people seem to drive while sleep there. I have to be super careful there as I get the feeling that other drivers have trouble seeing past their windscreen, and so I drive quite defensively there.
Melbourne: aside from quaint mechanical differences (hook turns and u turns being largely permissible), I feel that drivers have a hard time looking out their windscreen because they are looking at their Speedo. They drive as aggressive as in Sydney, just slower. Personally I find this infuriating. Oh the traffic jams put Sydney to shame. I've never seen worse everyday traffic in Australia.
Overall you will probably have a better driving experience in Melbourne and they will be more tolerant to mistakes. Be cautious of people doing u turns and in the unlikely event that you need to do a hook turn, just watch other cars do it.. You get the hang of it quickly