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Pro
Karratha-WA #268
AUDrive 10 Apr 2025172 -
Pro
Karratha-WA #270
AUDrive 10 Jul 2024170 -
Pro
Karratha-WA #269
AUDrive 27 Jul 2023140
General Tips
Karratha PDA Driving Test Routes Book Test
Typical Speed Limits Karratha test routes cover an unusually wide speed range from 10 to 80 km/h. Residential streets in Karratha, Bulgarra, and Pegs Creek are 40-50 km/h. Major roads like Dampier Highway and Galbraith Road reach 70-80 km/h. One route includes a rare 10 km/h shared zone. WA school zones along Balmoral Road and Warambie Road are 40 km/h from 7:30-9:00 am and 2:30-4:00 pm on school days.
Traffic Conditions Karratha is a major mining town in WA's Pilbara region. Traffic is moderate to heavy on Dampier Highway and Sharpe Avenue, especially during mining shift changes. Wide roads designed for heavy vehicle access give an open feel, but residential streets in Millars Well and Nickol are quieter. The town has experienced rapid growth, with newer suburbs like Baynton and Nickol having modern road layouts with roundabout-heavy designs.
Key Features The four routes from this centre feature 11 to 16 roundabouts and 5 to 7 sets of traffic signals. Routes extend west through Millars Well and Nickol via Bathgate Road, Tambrey Drive, and Delambre Drive. Key roads include Sharpe Avenue, Welcome Road, Millstream Road, Karratha Terrace, Searipple Road, and Gawthorne Drive. One route has the highest roundabout count (16) of any route at this centre. The 80 km/h sections on Dampier Highway require confident acceleration. Roundabout clusters on Gawthorne Drive and Galbraith Road feature 3-4 in rapid succession.
Common Test Manoeuvres Expect a kerbside stop near Dampier Highway, Broadhurst Road, or Galbraith Road depending on the route. The 10 km/h zone on one route requires crawling at walking pace. WA roundabout signalling is heavily tested, with up to 16 roundabouts per route. On Dampier Highway, build speed promptly to 80 km/h. Speed management across 5 different speed zones (10, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 km/h) is a key challenge unique to Karratha testing.
Other WA Driving Test Centres
Department of Transport Port Hedland (Regional sub-office)
2 Brand Street
Department of Transport Tom Price (Regional sub-office)
2 Central Road
Department of Transport Newman (Regional sub-office)
36 Kalgan Drive
Department of Transport Centre Carnarvon
Robinson Street
Department of Transport Centre Broome
47 Dampier Terrace
Department of Transport Centre Geraldton
23 Eastward Road
Office discussion
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