Australians planning an Easter road trip are being urged to take extra care, with a little-known rule meaning some drivers could face double demerit points even outside the states where the scheme applies.

Double demerits will be enforced from Thursday, April 2 through to Easter Monday in New South Wales, the ACT and Western Australia – traditionally one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

However, the penalties aren’t always limited to where the offence occurs. In some cases, they are tied to where a driver’s licence is issued, as detailed in a Yahoo News Australia report.

For motorists holding an ACT licence, double demerits can apply regardless of where the offence takes place. That means drivers travelling interstate could still receive increased penalties if the ACT is in a double demerit period.

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The same principle applies in New South Wales. Drivers licensed in NSW may have double demerit points applied to their licence for offences committed anywhere in Australia during the holiday window. While the fine itself is issued in the state where the offence occurs, the demerit points are applied based on NSW rules.

With millions of drivers holding NSW licences, this could catch out travellers unaware that stricter penalties follow them across borders.

By contrast, most other states do not apply double demerits in the same way. In Queensland, for example, double demerits are only issued to repeat offenders committing certain offences within a 12-month period, not during holiday periods. Interstate offences are recorded, but only standard Queensland penalties apply.

Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory also do not operate double demerit systems, meaning drivers from those states won’t face increased points for holiday offences, even if they occur elsewhere.

Western Australia enforces double demerits during the Easter period, but these do not carry over to drivers licensed in other states.

Authorities are reminding drivers that fines issued interstate are still enforceable, and failing to pay them can lead to further penalties.

With heavy traffic expected across the long weekend, the key message remains simple: know the rules that apply to your licence – not just the road you’re driving on.