Australian motorists are being reminded to watch their speed and put their phones away as another double demerit period gets underway this weekend. The licence danger period will apply across NSW and the Australian Capital Territory over the Labour Day long weekend, starting on Friday, October 2 and continuing until the end of Monday, October 5.

The four-day period means motorists caught committing certain offences can accumulate twice the usual number of demerit points, which potentially puts some drivers within a single offence of losing their licence.

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In NSW, double demerits apply to speeding, illegal mobile phone use, seatbelt offences and riding a motorcycle without an approved helmet. Mobile phone usage is potentially the biggest points drawer as a NSW motorist caught illegally using a phone during the double demerit period can receive 10 demerit points instead of the usual five.

That is particularly significant given an unrestricted NSW licence holder generally has a 13-point threshold before their licence is suspended. Fines themselves aren’t doubled during the period, just the demerits added from offences.

Motorists also need to be mindful of their passengers. Drivers can be penalised if a passenger isn’t wearing their seatbelt correctly, meaning something as simple as a passenger putting the belt underneath their arm could potentially have serious consequences for the driver’s licence.

The rules aren’t uniform across Australia, however. While Queensland and South Australia also observe public holidays on October 5, neither uses a holiday period double demerit system like NSW and the ACT. Western Australia also operates double demerit periods around designated long weekends and holidays. Its most recent period ran from Friday, September 25 until Monday, September 28 for the King’s Birthday long weekend, meaning it will have finished before the NSW and ACT period begins.

Queensland instead applies double demerit points throughout the year for certain repeat offences committed within a 12-month period and Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory don’t operate general holiday double-demerit schemes.

The October long weekend runs from Saturday, October 3 to Monday, October 5 in NSW, the ACT, Queensland and South Australia. For NSW and ACT motorists, however, the tougher penalties start a day earlier and come into effect on Friday, October 2 and remain in place through to 11:59pm on Monday, October 5.