Queensland motorists will face the largest fines in the state’s history with new penalty units coming into effect from mid-2024.
The Courier Mail reports one penalty unit in Queensland will be valued at $161.30 as of July 1, 2024, increasing from the current rate of $154.80.
This represents a year-on-year increase of 4.2 per cent, which is tied to inflation and is significantly less than the 7.7 per cent increase from the 2022/23 financial year to the 2023/24 financial year.
Low level speeding – where motorists are found to exceed the speed limit by less than 11km/h – will now attract a $322 fine, while failing to wear a seatbelt or using a mobile phone while driving will result in a $1210 fine.
Demerit point penalties remain unchanged, as does Queensland’s approach to double demerits which are applied year-round to motorists who are caught committing certain higher-risk offences multiple times within 12 months.
These include driving at more than 20km/h above the speed limit, any mobile phone-related offences, driver seatbelt offences, motorcycle helmet offences, and failure to ensure passengers under 16 are properly restrained.
The double demerits are only applied to motorists who commit the same type of offence within 12 months of their first offence, with the second offence attracting twice as many points.
A list of some of the driving offences to be impacted by Queensland’s new penalty unit pricing is found below.
| Driving offence | Current fine (until June 30, 2024) | New fine (from July 1, 2024) | Demerit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving less than 11km/h above the posted speed limit | $309 | $322 | 1 |
| Driving between 11km/h and 20km/h above the posted speed limit | $464 | $484 | 3 |
| Driving between 20km/h and 30km/h above the posted speed limit | $696 | $726 | 4 |
| Driving between 30km/h and 40km/h above the posted speed limit | $1161 | $1210 | 6 |
| Driving more than 40km/h above the posted speed limit | $1780 | $1852 | 8 |
| Failing to wear a seat belt while driving | $1161 | $1210 | 4 |
| Using a mobile phone while driving | $1161 | $1210 | 4 |
| Failing to stop for a red traffic light | $619 | $645 | 4 |
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