Double demerit points are now in effect for the Australia Day long weekend across several Australian states and territories.
The Monday, January 26 public holiday brings double demerits for New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory from and including Friday, January 23.
“This long weekend, police will be out in force to keep people safe on our roads. Double demerits are in place, and enforcement will be highly visible,” said NSW Acting Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Paul Scully in a statement.
“Speeding, drink or drug driving, using your phone or not wearing a seatbelt are choices that can cost lives. If you’re travelling this long weekend, plan ahead, be patient, drive to the conditions and don’t drive fatigued.
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“The goal of this operation is simple. We want everyone to get where they’re going safely and return home to their loved ones.”
Double demerits in NSW, WA and the ACT will apply until 11:59pm on Monday, January 26 for speeding, mobile phone use while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.
In WA, double demerit points will also apply for drink or drug driving, running a red light, and driving a motor vehicle in a manner to evade detection by a speed camera – including through the use of a radar detector.
Queensland has double demerit points in place year-round, meaning there are no unique penalties for the Australia Day long weekend.
Motorists in Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania won’t face any additional penalties over the period.
| State or territory | Double demerit points? |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | YES |
| Victoria | NO |
| Queensland | YES* |
| Western Australia | YES |
| South Australia | NO |
| Tasmania | NO |
| Australian Capital Territory | YES |
| Northern Territory | NO |
While Victoria – where the road toll increased 2.1 per cent in 2025 to 290 – won’t enforce double demerits, Victoria Police has announced Operation Amity.
The operation will run from 12:01am on Friday, January 23 until 11:59pm on Monday, January 26.
“Speeding drivers will be a major focus for police during the operation, with excessive or inappropriate speed the highest contributing factor in fatal collisions in 2025, contributing to at least 30 per cent of fatalities,” a Victoria Police statement said.
Victoria Police said it detected 6820 speeding offences in the 15-day Christmas and New Year period, with three-quarters of those drivers travelling between 10km/h and 25km/h over the speed limit.
The Victorian government trialled new ‘smart enforcement traffic cameras’ in parts of Melbourne in 2025, with the all-in-one units able to detect average speed, red-light, bus lane, seatbelt and mobile phone offences.
Despite record numbers of traffic cameras in Australia, and record levels of revenue raised by them, the nation’s road toll continues to climb.
Last year, 1314 people were killed on Australian roads, an increase of 1.7 per cent year-on-year, with NSW recording the highest number of fatalities (355, up 8.6 per cent), ahead of Queensland (308, up 2.0 per cent) and Victoria (290, up 2.1 per cent). MORE: Australia’s top motoring body slams federal government for road safety failures after death toll rises again
