Anzac Day is here, and in some states that means double demerits come into effect in an attempt to ward off unsafe driving around the public holiday.
However, not all jurisdictions in Australia have the same approach to double demerits; many areas never introduce them for public holidays, while one state that usually does doesn't have them in place today.
Here's everything you need to know about double demerits this Anzac Day.
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New South Wales and ACT
NSW introduced double demerits for public holidays back in 1997, and the scheme is in effect for five days this year.
Double demerits in NSW and the ACT began at 12.01am on Friday, April 21, and last until the end of the day today, April 25.
The extended period targets people who took Monday off to give themselves a long weekend.
All traffic offences in NSW incur double the usual demerit points, but the ACT is slightly different. Most offences like speeding and drink driving cop the double penalty, but some comparatively minor ones, like failing to keep left, just attract a single extra point instead.
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Western Australia
Western Australia, like the ACT and NSW, usually has double demerits in place for public holidays.
However, for Anzac Day this year, they don't apply.
They will, however, be back in place for public holidays later in the year, including the King's Birthday and Christmas.
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Queensland
Queensland approaches double demerits quite differently to NSW, WA, and the ACT.
Rather than having them in place for all drivers around public holidays, the Sunshine State instead keeps them in effect year-round, but only for drivers who commit the same offence twice in the space of 12 months.
This applies for speeding more than 20km/h over the limit, as well as mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences.
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Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory
Victoria, SA, Tasmania and the NT don't employ double demerits as part of their road safety strategies.
That means penalties for driving offences committed around Anzac Day in those jurisdictions are the same as for those committed at any other time of the year.
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