Anzac Day is not far away, and in some states that means double demerits will come into effect in an attempt to ward off unsafe driving around the public holiday.
However, not all jurisdictions in Australia have the same approach to double demerits; many areas never introduce them for public holidays, while one state that usually does won’t have them in place on April 25.
Here’s everything you need to know about double demerits this Anzac Day.
NSW introduced double demerits for public holidays back in 1997, and the scheme will be in effect for five days for Anzac Day.
Double demerits in NSW and the ACT run from 00.01 am on Friday, April 21, until midnight on Tuesday, April 25, the extended period targeting people who take the Monday off to give themselves a long weekend.
All traffic offences in NSW will incur double the usual demerit points, but the ACT is slightly different – most offences like speeding and drink driving cop the double penalty, but some comparatively minor ones, like failing to keep left, just attract a single extra point instead.
Western Australia, like the ACT and NSW, usually has double demerits in place for public holidays.
However, for Anzac Day this year, they don’t apply.
They will, however, be back in place for public holidays later in the year, including the King’s Birthday and Christmas.
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Queensland approaches double demerits quite differently to NSW, WA, and the ACT.
Rather than having them in place for all drivers around public holidays, the Sunshine State instead has them in effect year-round, but only for drivers who commit the same offence twice in the space of 12 months.
This applies for speeding more than 20km/h over the limit, as well as mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences.
Australians remember the fallen
Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory
None of Victoria, SA, Tasmania and the NT employ double demerits as part of their road safety strategies.
That means penalties for driving offences committed around Anzac Day in those jurisdictions will be the same as for those committed at any other time of the year.
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