The Melbourne Hook

Melbourne has a fantastic tram system called Yarra Trams (named after the Yarra River). They are designed so there is no need to step up to get on them, and many streets where they run, such as Swanston Street, are devoted to trams and cars are discouraged from traveling.

So important are trams to moving people across the city that they have employed a turn style called the hook turn.

From Wikipedia:
A hook turn is a traffic-control mechanism where cars that would normally have to turn across oncoming traffic are made to turn across all lanes of traffic instead..... (Prior to turning, they ) keep the middle of the road free for trams or other special uses.

How does this work? Here are the steps (translated to driving on the right)

1. If you need to turn left, approach and enter the intersection moving to the right side of the road. In some intersections there is a little well of space so you can get out of all lanes of traffic.  
2. Remain at the position until the green light on the road you are facing turns red.
3. Turn left.
4. Cars on the cross road yield to hook-turning traffic before commencing through the intersection.

I imagine that hook turns would discourage people from picking a route where they need to perform a left (or in Melbourne's case a right) turn. Meanwhile, they give trams and other cars the right of way, making travel on them faster.

There's no getting around it, they are confusing at first. People from other states have gotten into trouble driving here when they don't follow the rules. But for the most part, they do seem to keep things moving.