Car Impounded

[dan_the_man]

I got done for this when the laws first came out in late 2005, in an R33. Same situation, was out drifting with the boys in the wet, and took a wrong turn with a mate in a old vl, went into a culdisack, turned around and I booted it in front of him, didn't go a K above 50, a cop saw it, called it a street race. I even flicked a ciggie butt and he said it was a hand signal saying GO! LMAO. So I got the solicitor the full monty, went to court. Got max penalty, 12 Months Disqual from driving, could not drive turbos for 3 years as new rules for P plates had come in, had to sell it, impounded for 3 months, had to pay towing fees, impound fees, court fees, solicitor fees, fine for racing was 1500$. LOTS of money. well over 3gs. I also had 2 suspensions which added to 6 months worth, so I lost it for 18 months.

Basically your screwed, no matter what you do, you will get shafted by the homosexual hand of the law.

lol you broke the law.

sounds like a fair deal

[R31Nismoid]

I know both of the drivers in front, and 2 out of 3 had a passenger, so that may or may not help.

Called up asking for the CCTV footage today, the head of security in melbourne was not very helpful, smart ass at times - "we don't give out the footage to everyone" i said "I completely understand that mate" he replied "maybe you just want a picture of some cars drag racing in the city" so i said look mate I can just get them under freedom of information act and he goes "yeah takes 3 months for that to get processed....we delete CCTV after 28 days, so go for it"

After he got off his high horse, he said he'd have a look down exhibition, bourke and russell for me to see if there was anything but no promise as the cameras might not have been facing the road.

Talk to the Police as well mate.

Through the "safe streets" program they have fast/easy access to the CCTV, this is 110% factual as i've been through it all.

Wether or not you can go through Police to get the footage i don't know. If you lodged a complaint or something you might?

But i would lawyer up as fast as you can, then get some official letters sent off to get the footage as by the sound of it if there is some, it will fully clear you.

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

If i was you i would hurry up and get a lawyer, things move a bit quicker when requests like that come from a lawyer.

+1

and dont tell the cops you are asking for it

[Jack-]

If i was you i would hurry up and get a lawyer, things move a bit quicker when requests like that come from a lawyer.

Spoken to two lawyers for advice, not for official representation and they both said "we cant do anything really til we get the summons, come back when you get that"

...so any rough idea how long that is :S this whole thing is turning into a shit storm

[geraus]

Get prepared, fight the cops! you have your rights! summonds , depends how long it takes could be 6 months 3months.. you just got to wait! sorry to hear man.

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

Spoken to two lawyers for advice, not for official representation and they both said "we cant do anything really til we get the summons, come back when you get that"

...so any rough idea how long that is :S this whole thing is turning into a shit storm

if you decide on a lawyer get him to get the footage asap... dont wait for a summons

[Ziller]

Just a long shot, there may be other business in the street that have some footage, a guy came to our work not long ago asking us to check on a car accident he had at night 3 weeks prior, Bingo!, we burnt him a copy of it, never heard back from the prick thou.

Really, you should be able to get it under the freedom of information act, the lawyers sound like duds already, try another one if there is nothing they can do.

In the mean time, get on the phone and don't stop until you get results, the lawyers will charge you for everything they can, even go to your local MP for advice, they are a Government department and should be very helpful in advising you on how to go about applying for the footage you need, or a good phone number to start the ball rolling.

Good Luck!

[KamikazeNinja34]

Are you actually serious? You must be joking.............

seriously, if you can't perform a hook turn you should not be driving a car...

Then make it a point to learn. You really shouldn't have a license in Victoria if you can't do something in the city which is reasonably essential to know. I'm sorry, but a hook turn is a very easy concept.

Guys i think a little bit more clemency is required here, not ridicule as such. The only place in Victoria, as far as im aware at least - is in CBD Melbourne. If you rarely go to the city and get caught out in an area where you are required to do a hook turn it can be quite a scary thing if you don't know how. As with the guys' quotes below, myself living in Ballarat (which is relatively large...in terms of rural population) as I have done my whole life, we're not actually taught hook turns - why would we be when we have nowhere to practise them? We dont have trams anywhere here. Besides maybe the one they bring one vintage one out for the begonia festival. Point is, if youre not expecting to have to perform one, or dont know how to perform one, i believe its unfair to get anything but a warning for that if you havent done anything serious like caused an accident. If youre a local, different story, but some of us get lost in the city without realising. Fair to say learn. Where? for me at least its something like 130 kms to get to the city. Its also unfair to say 'you shouldnt have a licence in victoria' if you cant navigate one tiny part of it.

First time driving in the city, never been taught one. No trams where I live.

I live on the NSW side and currently have my licence there... NSW dosen't have stupid BS road rules like VIC does.

I also live 550km from Melbourne CBD - I'd be willing to bet that there would be a fair few people around here who can't do a hook turn. I've done one successfully once (I think), but it and the whole tram lane thing in general is hard to get your head around when you're not exposed to it all the time and/or from a rural area (or moreso in my case come from another city where trams are non existent) where you never see anything of the sort.

I can understand if the OP was maybe 'hooking' it a bit lol, I know I was when I tried that particularly stupid technique, for fear of being stuck in the intersection or hit by an oncoming car!

[R31Nismoid]

But people from the country are slow - especially bozodos, we know this already.

So i fully do not expect such people to understand

note this comment is heavily set in sarcasm

[FineLine]

Add me to the list of Hicks. Whilst I now have an explanation of what a hook turn is I still have NFI why you would even contemplate such a manoevre much less make a law about it.

[bozodos]

I was sooo going to post tall.gif after that comment ash!!!#!%@%&**%^&%#@^%@#@%&&$

but yeah basically even though the road rules have apparently been changed to be the same nationwide, I find driving around trams in melbourne to still be utterly confusing and rife with danger (gotta love steaming down Sydney Road in peak hour!) Based on previous experiences with Vic police, I daresay I'd be running the risk of getting into mucho trouble as well (I believe that ignorance is apparently not an excuse!)

So i just keep doing left turns until I get where I'm going, or go on the motorway!

[R31Nismoid]

Add me to the list of Hicks. Whilst I now have an explanation of what a hook turn is I still have NFI why you would even contemplate such a manoevre much less make a law about it.

When you come down you should give it a few shots then

Observe the surrounding traffic movements at the same time in relation to everything else, and you can actually see how it works.

Its something you really have to see to understand, preferrably in peak hour

[Priestley]

Add me to the list of Hicks. Whilst I now have an explanation of what a hook turn is I still have NFI why you would even contemplate such a manoevre much less make a law about it.

It makes perfect sense. It causes chaos when someone stops in the middle of the tracks.

I've seen two cars over the years plowed in to by trams because they didn't do a hook turn and sat in the middle of the tracks waiting to turn. Both times the tram driver could have stopped too. Maybe they wanted a day off?

Edited November 19, 2009 by Priestley

[W0rp3D]

Guys i think a little bit more clemency is required here, not ridicule as such. The only place in Victoria, as far as im aware at least - is in CBD Melbourne. If you rarely go to the city and get caught out in an area where you are required to do a hook turn it can be quite a scary thing if you don't know how. As with the guys' quotes below, myself living in Ballarat (which is relatively large...in terms of rural population) as I have done my whole life, we're not actually taught hook turns - why would we be when we have nowhere to practise them? We dont have trams anywhere here. Besides maybe the one they bring one vintage one out for the begonia festival. Point is, if youre not expecting to have to perform one, or dont know how to perform one, i believe its unfair to get anything but a warning for that if you havent done anything serious like caused an accident. If youre a local, different story, but some of us get lost in the city without realising. Fair to say learn. Where? for me at least its something like 130 kms to get to the city. Its also unfair to say 'you shouldnt have a licence in victoria' if you cant navigate one tiny part of it.

When i got my license a long time ago you had questions on the test about hook turns, have they taken them off the test now, if not everyone in victoria should atleast be aware of them.

There is also 4 or 5 signs at each hook turn intersection telling you how to perform a hook turn, between those signs and what was learnt on the drivers test it should not be as hard as everyone is making it out to be.

[dan_the_man]

+1

and dont tell the cops you are asking for it

why not?

[FineLine]

It makes perfect sense. It causes chaos when someone stops in the middle of the tracks.

I've seen two cars over the years plowed in to by trams because they didn't do a hook turn and sat in the middle of the tracks waiting to turn. Both times the tram driver could have stopped too. Maybe they wanted a day off?

So what about all the cars that are travelling in the same initial direction as you but not wanting to turn right.

If you have to wait for that lane of traffic to clear before you turn right from the left lane you could die of old age waiting.

[W0rp3D]

So what about all the cars that are travelling in the same initial direction as you but not wanting to turn right.

If you have to wait for that lane of traffic to clear before you turn right from the left lane you could die of old age waiting.

As you can see in the diagram the straight ahead lanes are clearonce you pull off to the left, if you mean congestion banking up through the intersection then you ram then since you are not allowed to enter an intersection unless you have a clear path to the other side, lets also remember that these turns are only in the city, the congestion capital, dont expect to get a smooth run like you do on the monash........ hang on, you probably can expect the same smooth run

Edited November 19, 2009 by W0rp3D

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

why not?

if you tell them that you are getting footage to use against them, it will go "missing" before you get there.

and dont say i'm being paranoid, as they have already done this to me on another matter...

they also "discovered" another officer who apparently "witnessed" the whole thing but "forgot" to mention it for a few months.

cops look after cops.....

what i'm saying is if there is chance of getting video evidence that will prove you innocent, you need to grab it ASAP

[R31Nismoid]

So what about all the cars that are travelling in the same initial direction as you but not wanting to turn right.

If you have to wait for that lane of traffic to clear before you turn right from the left lane you could die of old age waiting.

What the pic does not show - its a dual lane.

So the left lane pulls to the left, all the traffic in right lane passes freely, as do the trams.

Once lights go orange, then you can turn right from the "hook" position on the left.

The CBD is that filled with traffic, you wouldn't be able to turn right away without waiting for the orange. This method simply keeps cars away from trams... but then you get the odd idiot who does try to turn right from the right lane and blocks the entire intersection... funny to see the tram drivers go spastic with the bells and horns

[KamikazeNinja34]

What the pic does not show - its a dual lane.

So the left lane pulls to the left, all the traffic in right lane passes freely, as do the trams.

Once lights go orange, then you can turn right from the "hook" position on the left.

The CBD is that filled with traffic, you wouldn't be able to turn right away without waiting for the orange. This method simply keeps cars away from trams... but then you get the odd idiot who does try to turn right from the right lane and blocks the entire intersection... funny to see the tram drivers go spastic with the bells and horns

I understand the need for it, i dont understand acting like its the be all and end all of driving when its only necessary in the cbd of one city in victoria.

No brett...there were no questions relating to trams OR hook turns on either my learners or probationary.