Queenslanders may need to take test to renew licence

In response to Queensland’s highest road toll in 13 years, transport minister Mark Bailey has proposed several measures to improve road safety in the state, and is canvassing the public for feedback.

The most talked about has been a proposed test that drivers will be required to pass when renewing their licence. It’s not a finite test that will see a suspension for failure, but a measure to give drivers a quick top-up on the road rules.

“It’s not whether we take your licence off you or not, it’s about educating you as a driver… if you don’t get [the test] right the first time, you will get another shot at it and another shot at it until you do get it right,” Bailey said.

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“It’s designed to be a refresher course, that people would look to do in an easy online way, that gives you a good review of what’s happened in the last four or five years since you got your licence last time,” Bailey told ABC Radio Brisbane.

Bailey mentioned that, not only would a test keep drivers on top of current rules, but also educate them on new ones. For example, changes regarding restrictions on personal mobility devices, as well as electronic devices.

Tougher speeding laws

Another measure Bailey suggested – partially in response to the 74 motorcycle deaths in the state last year – was an on-the-spot licence suspension for drivers caught speeding in excess of 40km/h.

“If you get caught and pulled over at that kind of speed, then it's kind of 'hand over the keys, thanks very much,' and the car stays where it is, and an immediate suspension," Bailey said.

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It would bring Queensland’s speeding laws closer to NSW and Victoria’s. In NSW, if you’re caught in excess of 45km/h over the speed limit as a fully licenced driver, your licence is revoked on the spot for a six-month period.

The Victorian government enacted a similar law in 2020: if a driver is caught 45km/h over the speed limit (or at any speed above 145km/h in a 110km/h zone) then your licence is suspended and it’s up to the court to determine the length.

In Queensland, the process currently involves a notice coming in the post and offers a 14-day grace period – something that Bailey thinks isn’t tough enough.