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Double Demerits Now In Force for Australia Day in NSW, ACT and WA

Police will run high-visibility operations with mobile phone detection cameras active to curb holiday road risks.

Overview

  • Double demerits apply from Friday, January 23, to Monday, January 26, across New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia, with officers highly visible on roads.
  • Doubled points target speeding, illegal mobile phone use, seatbelt and child restraint breaches, and riding without a helmet, with WA also covering drink or drug driving and red‑light offences.
  • In Western Australia, penalties during the period reach up to 14 demerit points for speeding, eight for phone use or seatbelt offences, and six for running a red light.
  • New South Wales drivers using a phone face a $423 fine ($562 in school zones) and 10 demerit points, and statewide mobile phone detection cameras are operating.
  • Queensland applies double demerits year‑round only for repeat offences within 12 months, while South Australia, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Tasmania do not run double demerit schemes.