Double minus points are now in effect for the Australia Day long weekend in several Australian states and territories.
The public holiday Monday 26 January brings double detriment to New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory from Friday 23 January.
“This long weekend, police will be out in force in large numbers to keep people safe on our roads. There are twofold failings and enforcement will be clearly visible,” NSW Acting Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister Paul Scully said in a statement.
“Speeding, driving with alcohol or drugs, using the phone or not wearing a seatbelt are decisions that can cost lives. If you’re traveling this long weekend, plan ahead, be patient, drive according to conditions and don’t drive tired.
With Daily Sparkz you can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
“The goal of this operation is simple: we want everyone to arrive safely at their destination and return to their loved ones.”
In NSW, WA and the ACT, double offenses for speeding, using mobile phones while driving and failing to wear a seatbelt will apply until 11.59pm on Monday 26 January.
In WA, double penalty points are also awarded for driving under the influence of drink or drugs, running a red light and driving a motor vehicle in a manner that avoids detection by a speed camera – including through the use of a radar detector.
Queensland has double demerits all year round, meaning there are no one-off penalties for the Australia Day long weekend.
Motorists in Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania will not face additional fines during this period.
| State or territory | Double minus 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 rose by 2.1 per cent to 290 in 2025 – will not enforce double fines, Victoria Police have announced Operation Amity.
Operations run from Friday, January 23rd, 12:01 a.m. to Monday, January 26th, 11:59 p.m.
“Speeding drivers will be a key focus for police during the operation, with excessive or inappropriate speed being the leading factor in fatal crashes in 2025, accounting for at least 30 per cent of fatalities,” Victoria Police said in a statement.
Victoria Police said it detected 6820 speeding offenses over the 15-day Christmas and New Year period, with three quarters of those drivers exceeding the speed limit between 10 and 25km/h.
The Victorian government trialled new “smart traffic surveillance cameras” in parts of Melbourne in 2025, with the all-in-one devices capable of detecting average speed, red light, bus lane, seatbelt and mobile phone offences.
Despite the record number of traffic cameras in Australia and the record revenue they generate, the country’s road toll continues to rise.
Last year 1314 people were killed on Australian roads, an increase of 1.7 per cent on the previous year, with NSW recording the highest death toll (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 leading motoring regulator is accusing the federal government of road safety failings after the death toll rose again
