Australian Capital Territory
Road Transport (Offences) Application to Holiday Period Declaration 2008 (No 1)
Disallowable instrument DI2008–214
made under the 
Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005, section 21 (Additional demerit points for offences committed during holiday periods)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Section 21(3) of the Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005, (the Regulation), provides for the Minister to declare that part or all of a holiday period may be excluded as a holiday period for the purpose of the application of prescribed double and additional demerit points.

This instrument specifies that the holiday period beginning at the start of Friday 
31 October 2008 and ending at the end of Tuesday 4 November 2008 for the public holiday known as the Family and Community Day holiday which is observed in the ACT on 4 November 2008, is excluded as a holiday period.  Accordingly, for this period, the application of prescribed double and additional demerit points, as specified in subsection 21(2) (a) and (b) of the Regulation, will not apply.  Normal demerit point penalties will apply for driving offences during this holiday period.

Double Demerit Points were first introduced in the ACT in 1997 and apply to all speeding and seat belt offences.  For any other demerit point offence (eg. not giving way, not stopping at pedestrian crossing, overtaking when unsafe or using a handheld mobile phone while driving) a single additional demerit point is incurred.

This declaration is a disallowable instrument, and must be presented to the Legislative Assembly within 6 sitting days after its notification in pursuance of section 64 of the Legislation Act 2001.