Everything You Must Know Before Your Midland Driving Test (PDA)
- Cameron Haughey
- 16 de mai.
- 4 min de leitura
I've been helping students pass their driving test in Midland for more than 7 years, and more than 60% of my students pass first time. If you want to pass first time, there are a number of things you should be prepared for before booking your PDA at this licensing centre.
Midland definitely has its challenges, but if you're comfortable driving in traffic and understand the area properly, it's absolutely manageable.
Midland Is VERY Busy
Midland is busy — especially around the Department of Transport carpark.
Clayton Street, which runs past the Midland DOT, gets busier and busier throughout the day. Because of this, it's usually better to book your PDA earlier in the morning if possible.
The extra traffic means one thing more than anything else: unpredictability.
The more vehicles there are on the road, the more likely somebody does something they shouldn't. You need to stay switched on, leave yourself a bit of extra space and give yourself more time to respond to what's happening around you.
The main roads in Midland where you'll likely have to deal with heavier traffic are:
Great Eastern Highway
Great Northern Highway
Victoria Street
Lloyd Street
Clayton Street
Once you're off the main roads, though, the suburban streets are generally fairly quiet.
They can, however, have quite a few parked cars.
Filter Traffic Lights
There are many traffic lights in Midland that either:
don't have a green arrow for right turns, or
lose the red arrow after a short period of time
Knowing how to manage these types of intersections properly is important.
Having a driving instructor teach you the correct techniques is obviously one way to learn. But driving lessons can be expensive, and not everyone can afford ongoing lessons to properly prepare for their driving test.
That's one of the reasons I started GOAT Driving.
The idea was to create web-based driving guides at a fraction of the cost of a driving lesson, so learners can still access the same information and techniques without spending hundreds of dollars.
Check out an lesson example here.
Or check out our pricing plans here.
Roundabouts
There are many roundabouts in Midland, so knowing the rules and understanding who to give way to is very important.
The roundabout on the corner of Clayton Street and Cowie Court is one of the busiest single-lane roundabouts in Western Australia, so you need to be good at judging opportunities. Even slight hesitation can mean your chance to enter is gone.
Merge Lanes
There are plenty of merge lanes in Midland.
Knowing who gives way and understanding the correct procedure is essential — but so is recognising merge situations early.
Be prepared for roads to reduce from two lanes into one lane after traffic lights.
Train Crossings
There's a good chance you'll cross train lines during your Midland PDA.
If you do, remember to look both ways as you cross.
Tricky Intersections
There are three particularly tricky intersections in Midland if you're unfamiliar with the area.
Two of them are very similar.
Helena Street / The Crescent
As you head north over Great Eastern Highway on Helena Street, the continuing road actually bends around to the right and becomes The Crescent.
Even though you technically could continue straight, you need to follow the continuing road.
Cowie Court Near St John of God Hospital
The same thing happens on Cowie Court near the St John of God Hospital parking area after turning off Clayton Street.
The continuing road bends around to the right.
The same applies if you're travelling west along Cowie Court — the continuing road bends to the left rather than continuing straight.
Cale Street and Great Eastern Highway
The final tricky intersection, in my opinion, is where Cale Street crosses Great Eastern Highway.
Regardless of whether you're travelling east or west on Great Eastern Highway, if you're asked to turn through the small section of Cale Street between both directions of the highway, it can be quite an awkward movement if you're unfamiliar with the area.
Stop Signs
There are a LOT of stop signs in Midland.
Look out for:
stop signs
solid white stop lines
And if you see one, focus on bringing the car to a complete stop before looking for traffic.
Pros and Cons of Doing Your PDA in Midland
Like anywhere, Midland has both positives and negatives.
Pros
They Can't Travel Very Far
Because of the heavy traffic and sheer number of traffic lights, assessors usually can't travel very far during the PDA.
If they stay around Midland or Midvale, you'll generally remain fairly close to the licensing centre.
And if they decide to head towards Bellevue or Hazelmere, the driving becomes much easier.
Red Lights Waste Time
Because Midland has so many traffic lights, you'll probably spend a decent amount of time stopped at red lights.
And honestly, that's not a bad thing.
The PDA only lasts around 35 minutes, so time spent sitting at traffic lights is time you're not actively driving.
The Driving Itself Is Fairly Straightforward
Outside of a few tricky intersections, the driving in Midland is fairly standard Western Australian driving.
Traffic lights, stop signs, roundabouts and merge lanes are all common road situations that most learners should already be familiar with.
Summary
Midland definitely has some tricky aspects, but if you're comfortable sitting in traffic and familiar with the area, there's really nothing to fear.
At the very least, I'd recommend spending 30 minutes driving around Midland before your PDA — especially around the tricky intersections mentioned above.
Otherwise, Midland is absolutely passable for any competent driver.
If you're looking to book lessons with a Midland specialist, click here.
If you can't afford ongoing driving lessons — or simply prefer learning at your own pace — GOAT Driving's web-based driving guides might be suitable for you.