- The Crisafulli Government is cracking down on high-risk, dangerous driving with stronger new laws to save lives and make Queensland safer.
- Clearer, modern offence framework covering motor vehicles and emerging transport modes, with increased jail terms and licence disqualifications for serious and repeat offenders.
- Penalties for drink and drug driving will be doubled, with minimum fines introduced and new enforcement powers rolled out.
- Part of the Crisafulli Government's plan to restore safety where you live after a decade of decline under the former Labor Government.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering stronger road safety laws to target dangerous drivers and reduce road trauma, introducing sweeping reforms with two significant pieces of legislation to be introduced to Parliament today.
The Criminal Code (Dangerous Driving) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, will overhaul Queensland's dangerous driving laws to strengthen penalties, restore accountability, and put the rights of victims ahead of the rights of offenders.
The Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (2026) will target behaviours that cause the most harm on Queensland roads and will be backed by tougher penalties.
The Criminal Code (Dangerous Driving) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 will repeal existing dangerous driving offences and replace them with a stronger, clearer and more modern framework, including four categories of offending covering motor vehicles and non-motor vehicles.
The Bill also introduces a range of other targeted reforms, including:
- Increasing maximum penalties, particularly for motor vehicle offences, including up to 5- or 7-years imprisonment where no death or grievous bodily harm is caused, and up to 16- or 25-years imprisonment where death or grievous bodily harm occurs.
- Increasing minimum licence disqualification periods, with tougher consequences for offences involving death or grievous bodily harm, aggravated offending, and repeat offenders.
- Expanding mandatory imprisonment requirements for serious and repeat dangerous driving offenders, ensuring jail sentences apply in more circumstances.
Also to be introduced today, the Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (2026) will target dangerous behaviours on Queensland roads including drink and drug driving, extreme speeding, and failure to wear a seatbelt. It will also give councils clearer powers to manage parking, improving safety and access in local communities
After a review commissioned by the former Labor Government found no evidence to support any change, the Crisafulli Government will continue its zero-tolerance approach to drug driving, including for medical cannabis prescriptions.
This evidence-based response to rising road trauma, is informed by experts, crash data, enforcement trends, and community expectations for safer roads, to deliver a clear plan focused on enforcement, deterrence and saving lives.
From 1 December 2026, key reforms include:
- Doubled penalties for drug driving, with higher fines and longer licence disqualifications.
- Stronger penalties for combined drink and drug offences, targeting a growing and highly dangerous behaviour.
- Minimum court-imposed fines to ensure penalties match the seriousness of offences.
- Immediate six-month licence suspensions for drivers caught more than 40km/h over the speed limit.
- Improved seatbelt enforcement, allowing drivers to nominate adult passengers so the right person is held accountable.
Further reforms rolling out in 2027 will:
- Streamline roadside drug testing, enabling more tests and faster enforcement.
- Introduce a mandatory drug driving education program to tackle repeat offending.
- Strengthen enforcement of camera-detected seatbelt offences.
These reforms are just another way the Crisafulli Government is delivering stronger laws for Queensland Police to make Queensland safer and rebuild the frontline after Labor's decade of decline.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Deb Frecklington said the Crisafulli Government was making Queensland safer.
"Dangerous drivers and violent offenders are putting lives at risk, and these changes ensure the consequences match that behaviour," the Attorney-General said.
"By increasing penalties and prioritising victims, these reforms strike the right balance - holding offenders to account while helping prevent the devastating impacts dangerous driving can have on our families and communities.
"The message is simple but powerful: if you knowingly put lives at risk on Queensland roads, expect serious consequences."
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said the reforms delivered on the Crisafulli Government's commitment to make Queensland safer.
"The road toll has been trending up in Queensland for a long time, and these laws send a clear message that if you choose to drive dangerously, there will be serious consequences" Minister Mickelberg said.
"The reality is drug driving has overtaken drink driving as the leading cause of motor vehicle deaths. More than 60 per cent of drug driving fatalities had THC in their system.
"The simple fact is that it's not safe to drive while affected by THC, it impairs driving skills, it impairs users' ability to judge their own impairment, and that could lead to devastating consequences for other road users.
"We are targeting the behaviours that are killing people on our roads and backing that up with tougher penalties and stronger enforcement.
"The Crisafulli Government is delivering the safer roads Queenslanders deserve."
The Criminal Code (Dangerous Driving) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 and the Transport and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (2026) will now be considered by the Queensland Parliament.
