Queensland dangerous driving laws: what is changing and who is affected
Queensland dangerous driving laws are being rewritten, with the state scrapping its long-standing offence and replacing it with a tougher, more detailed set of rules. The Criminal Code (Dangerous Driving) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026, now published on the Queensland Legislation website, inserts a new Chapter 29B into the Criminal Code and comes into force on 1 March 2027.
It repeals the existing sections 328A and 328B. The new Queensland dangerous driving laws cover anyone who drives or operates a vehicle dangerously, whether it’s a car, a train or a boat, and anyone who dangerously interferes with someone else’s driving.
Penalties under the new Queensland dangerous driving laws
The new Queensland dangerous driving laws set out several tiers of offence for drivers of motor vehicles:
- Driving a motor vehicle in a dangerous manner is a misdemeanour, punishable by up to 400 penalty units or five years imprisonment.
- If the dangerous driving causes someone’s death or grievous bodily harm, it becomes a crime with a maximum of 16 years’ imprisonment.
- Aggravated dangerous driving (e.g. drink or drug driving, excessive speeding, street racing, driving while disqualified, fleeing a crash scene or evading police) carries up to seven years’ jail, or 25 years if someone is killed or seriously injured.
- Repeat offenders face mandatory jail time. The court must impose imprisonment, either as the whole sentence or part of it, in two cases. One is where a driver has a previous conviction for causing death or grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving, or for a related aggravated careless driving offence. The other is where a driver has been convicted more than once of certain dangerous, drink or drug driving offences.
- Convicted drivers also lose their licence automatically. The court must disqualify them for at least six months for a first, non-aggravated offence. Longer minimum periods, up to five years, apply to aggravated offences, offences causing death or grievous bodily harm, and repeat offending.
Posting about dangerous driving online
Under the updated Queensland dangerous driving laws, showing off online now comes at a steep price. Suppose a driver posts material on a social media platform or online social network to advertise their involvement in a dangerous driving offence, or the driving itself. The offence then becomes a crime carrying up to 600 penalty units or seven years’ imprisonment. The same aggravation applies to dangerously interfering with a motor vehicle. It also applies to the non-motor vehicle offences, with a lower maximum of 400 penalty units or five years.
Interfering with a vehicle and non-motor vehicles
Dangerously interfering with the driving of a motor vehicle is a misdemeanour (400 penalty units or five years). It escalates to a crime carrying 16 years where death or grievous bodily harm results. A conviction in the previous five years for dangerous interference or dangerous driving raises the maximum to 600 penalty units or seven years, or 25 years where death or grievous bodily harm occurs.
Non-motor vehicles
The Queensland dangerous driving laws also apply to non-motor vehicles. Operating a non-motor vehicle dangerously is a misdemeanour (200 penalty units or three years). It becomes a crime carrying up to 14 years where death or grievous bodily harm results. Dangerously interfering with the operation of a non-motor vehicle carries the same base penalties. Aggravating factors raise the maximums to 400 penalty units or five years, or 20 years where death or grievous bodily harm results. For operators, these factors mirror the motor vehicle list, including alcohol or drugs, excessive speed, prior convictions and leaving the scene. For interference, the aggravating factor is a recent prior conviction.
“Excessively speeding” means travelling more than 40 km/h over the applicable speed limit. A “non-motor vehicle” is any vehicle that isn’t a motor vehicle, including trains, aircraft and vessels, and anything else used to carry people or goods from place to place.
Anyone who drives, rides or operates a vehicle in Queensland should read up on the new Queensland dangerous driving laws before they take effect on 1 March 2027.
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General information only, not legal advice. Check the official source before acting.
Source: Queensland Legislation. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Queensland Legislation
