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Police across the country have launched Australia Day operations with double demerit points now enforced in some states and territories.
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Police across the country are calling for motorists to slow down and keep safety in mind ahead of the 2025 Australia Day public holiday long weekend.
Double demerit points will be enforced in New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Western Australia over the long weekend, with police operations already underway for the holiday period.
Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory (NT) do not apply double demerit points during holiday periods.
Queensland drivers are subject to double demerits all year, with no changes for public holiday periods.
NSW Police launched ‘Operation Australia Day 2025’ at 00:01 Friday 24 January which will continue until 23:59 Monday 27 January, with the ACT also enforcing double demerits for the same period.
Double demerit points apply for the duration of the operation for speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences, with 2300 police on duty for the operation.
“We want everyone to stay safe while enjoying the long weekend so there will be a significant police presence on our roads and waterways, targeting dangerous behaviour,” Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said in a statement.
“The last thing we want to see this weekend are more injuries and deaths on our roads. Double demerits will be in place and police will be highly visible across the state because we want everyone to arrive home safely.”
Victoria Police have launched Operation Amity which will also see greater police visibility on the state’s roads across the long weekend in an effort to reduce road trauma.
Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
It commenced at 00:01 Friday 24 January and will run until 23:59 Monday 27 January.
The Victoria road toll for the year-to-date is already higher than in 2024, with 24 deaths compared to 19 over the same period last year, with the operation targeting holiday hotspots, main roads and popular tourist destinations.
“We’re conducting Operation Amity during a particularly busy period on Victorian roads – for many of us, this will mark the last weekend of the January holiday period before returning to school or work next week,” said Victoria Police Road Policing Assistant Commissioner, Glenn Weir.
“We’re expecting it to be busy, and so we’re asking all motorists to slow down, take it easy, be courteous to others road users, and don’t rush to reach your destination.
“Police will be highly visible across the major roads and highways between Melbourne and regional parts of the state where we know lots of people will be commuting.
“We’ll also be setting up numerous alcohol and drug testing sites across the state, and while this might slow you down on your travels, we make no apologies for this.
“We want everyone to enjoy this long weekend, but let’s also ensure we all make it home safely at the end of it.”
Nationally, the road toll increased 3.3 per cent in 2024 with 1300 road deaths according to BITRE (Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts).
The highest number of fatalities occurred in New South Wales, where 340 lives were lost – an identical number to 2023 – with Victoria recording 281 deaths compared to 296 the previous year.
Queensland, the NT and the ACT all recorded increases, with the NT’s toll increasing 87 per cent from 31 to 58 deaths, the ACT’s jumping 175 per cent from four deaths to 11.
After an even bigger annual increase of 7.3 per cent, a road safety forum initiative was established in 2024 aiming to tackle the increasing number of deaths.
