Drug, drink and dangerous drivers face harsher penalties in Queensland, as state lawmakers take aim at NSW for relaxing its road rules.
The LNP government will double the penalty for drug driving, including for medical cannabis users, under two sets of new laws to be introduced to parliament.
"If you drink and drive, you are committing an offence; if you drug drive, you are committing an offence, no matter where that drug comes from," Attorney General Deb Frecklington told reporters.
"We have taken a zero tolerance to drugs and drug driving."
The legislation includes increasing the maximum penalties for motor vehicle offences where death or grievous bodily harm occurs from 16 to 25 years imprisonment.
Minimum licence disqualification periods will also be increased, and mandatory imprisonment for serious and repeat dangerous driving offenders will be expanded to ensure more are sent to jail.
"Some of the changes that we are making here today have been called upon by people who have lost a loved one," Ms Frecklington said.
Queensland has recorded 150 road crash deaths in 2026 and in 2025 there were 305, four more than the previous year and 20 more than the previous five-year average.
“Drug driving has overtaken drink driving as the greatest predominance of deaths on Queensland roads," Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said.
“Rather than weakening the drug driving laws, as other states have chosen to do, we will be strengthening the provisions.”
NSW recently introduced what it described as "commonsense" drug driving reforms for motorists who use lawfully prescribed medicinal cannabis.
Drivers can have a THC level below 50 nanograms per millilitre with no penalty, while those found with a higher level will receive a warning for a first or second detection within two years.
Ms Frecklington said Queensland did not support NSW's reforms.
"We are taking a tough approach," she said.
"If anyone has a medical reason for taking a drug, that is horrific for them that they have to do that, but at the end of the day, they shouldn't be driving a motor vehicle."
