MORE than 32,000 traffic offences have been detected across Queensland as part of two major high-visibility police operations, as authorities warn dangerous behaviour on the roads will not be tolerated following a devastating year for road trauma.
The enforcement surge comes after 308 lives were lost on Queensland roads in 2025, including 14 deaths involving e-bikes or e-scooters.
Police and government leaders have renewed calls for motorists and riders to make safer decisions, warning that risky behaviour continues to tear families apart.
Operation Mistletoe, launched in December 2025, targeted the Fatal Five — speeding, drink and drug driving, distraction, fatigue and failing to wear a seatbelt — during the busiest travel period of the year. The operation was led by the Queensland Police Service, with officers deployed across the state to deter high-risk behaviour before tragedy occurred.
During the holiday crackdown, police detected more than 32,100 traffic offences, including 16,000 speeding offences, 300 seatbelt offences and 200 cases of distracted driving. Officers also conducted more than 177,500 roadside breath tests and 7,200 roadside drug tests, detecting over 1,800 drink drivers and 1,500 drug drivers.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie said the scale of offending highlighted the ongoing risks on Queensland roads. He said the 2025 road toll represented hundreds of families whose lives had been permanently changed, and warned that motorists who ignore road rules and endanger others would face consequences.
A second statewide enforcement effort, Operation X-Ray Surety, focused on illegal and dangerous e-mobility behaviour and resulted in 2,794 fines and the seizure of 142 non-compliant devices. Launched in November 2025, the 12-week operation targeted unsafe riding practices, particularly among younger riders.
Police issued more than 2,100 infringements for failing to wear a helmet, alongside hundreds of offences for riding on prohibited roads and speeding. The operation coincided with increased scrutiny of e-bike and e-scooter safety amid growing concern over injuries and fatalities involving e-mobility devices.
Police have warned that high-visibility enforcement will continue throughout 2026 as part of ongoing efforts to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on Queensland roads.
