Call our lawyers
now
or,
have our lawyers
call you
Queensland Traffic Offenders Program
Queensland Traffic Offenders Program
If you’ve been caught drink driving in or near Brisbane, you should strongly consider participating in a drink driving program such as QTOP (Queensland Traffic Offenders Program). This will be looked upon favourably by the Magistrate and will usually reduce your fine and suspension period.
What is QTOP?
QTOP is a program designed to educate drivers on issues such as driver safety and fatigue, road trauma, grief and family impact, effects on health, and police and the law. These sessions are run by police officers, fire fighters, ambulance officers, lawyers and family members who provide real life examples and solutions. The program runs for three weeks one night a week; Brisbane on Wednesday nights in Upper Mr Gravatt and on Tuesday nights at Nerang on the Gold Coast.
Who can participate in QTOP?
QTOP is an option available to those that plead guilty to a traffic offence such as drink driving, drug driving, dangerous driving or disqualified driving. Your solicitor at the first court appearance will enter a plea of guilty and advise the Magistrate you wish to participate in the program which will allow for the sentencing of your matter to be adjourned for six weeks until you have completed the program.
How can participating in QTOP help me in Court?
As a drink driving and traffic law specialists, we’ve seen first-hand the reduction in fines and suspension periods for those that have participated in this program. More than 5000 people have participated in the course since its inception, and most have reaped the benefits. Upon completion of the program you are provided with a certificate and this, along with your comments about what you obtained from the course, is handed to the Magistrate. The idea is to show the Magistrate that your behaviour has changed due to the new knowledge you have gained from the program.
Check out the QTOP website at https://www.qtop.com.au to learn more about the benefits of the program.
Laura Turner
Senior Associate
Laura Turner holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts as well as a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. She is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Queensland. Laura began her legal experience through volunteering with the Student Legal Service offering free advice to students, and through a clerkship in the conveyancing team of a law firm in Hobart. She also volunteered at a Prisoner Legal Service, assisting inmates to obtain parole. Laura has a strong focus on family law, criminal and traffic law, although looks to broaden her knowledge into migration and civil law.
Affordable Lawyers
Our Go To Court Lawyers will assist you in all areas of law. We specialise in providing legal advice urgently – at the time when you need it most. If you need a lawyer right now, today, we can help you – no matter where you are in Australia.How It Works
1. You speak directly to a lawyer
When you call the Go To Court Legal Hotline, you will be connected directly to a lawyer, every time.
2. Get your legal situation assessed
We determine the best way forward in your legal matter, free of charge. If you want to go ahead and book a face-to-face appointment, we will connect you with a specialist in your local area.
3. We arrange everything as needed
If you want to go ahead and book a fact-to-face appointment, we will connect you with a specialist in your local area no matter where you are and even at very short notice.
Related Law Topics
Proposed Changes to Youth Justice Laws (Qld)
In Queensland, there are mandatory sentences that apply to adults who are found guilty of murder and other serious offences. With the state election approaching, the Liberal Nationals Party is proposing to apply mandatory sentencing laws to young people found guilty of certain offences. The Opposition is also proposing to ....
Posted in:
Criminal Law
Queensland
Excessive Hardship Because of COVID-19 and Residential Leases (Qld)
Please note that the legislation referred to on this page is no longer in force. On 24 April 2020, the Queensland government passed the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation (COVID-19 Emergency Response) Regulation. The Regulation makes temporary changes to the Queensland Residential Tenancies Act to make allowances for tenants suffering ....
Posted in:
Civil Law
Queensland
Coronavirus and Court Appearances (Qld)
Attending court in person is generally mandatory in any court matter with appearances by phone or video conference reserved for when there are exceptional circumstances. However, due to the Coronavirus court appearances by phone and video are to become the new normal, with appearances in person limited to urgent matters. ....
Posted in:
Criminal Law
Queensland
Native Title and the Adani Coal Mine
In August it was revealed that the Queensland government had granted exclusive possession of tracts of land in the Galilee Basin to Indian mining company Adani. The decision had the effect of extinguishing the native title rights of the Wangan and Jagalingo people, who may now be forcibly expelled from ....
Posted in:
Civil Law
Queensland
Public Assemblies and the Law (Qld)
The Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner reportedly today approached Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about changing Queensland’s laws relating to public assemblies such as political protests. The move comes after climate change protests organised by international activist network Extinction Rebellion caused chaos in the city last month. It also follows another announcement ....
Posted in:
Criminal Law
Queensland
Private Prisons Returning to State Control (Qld)
The Queensland government announced in March that Queensland’s two privately operated prisons will be brought back under government control. The decision came in the wake of a Crime and Corruption Commission report on corruption in corrective services facilities. The report, released in December 2018, found that corruption was rife in ....
Posted in:
Criminal Law
Queensland
Firearm Silencers and the Law (Qld)
A Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) decision late last year has called into question the state’s laws prohibiting firearm silencers. The decision considered the Queensland Police’s refusal to grant a farmer’s request to possess a silencer in order to more safely use his firearms to control invasive species on ....
Posted in:
Criminal Law
Queensland
Enquiry Into Wage Theft Underway (Qld)
A Queensland parliamentary inquiry is investigating the problem of wage theft in Queensland. The committee will be looking at the incidence of wage theft in the state, its impact on workers, families, businesses, the community and the economy. It will consider why wage theft is occurring, which industries or occupations ....
Posted in:
Civil Law
Court Lawyers
Queensland
Queensland to Open First Private Women’s Prison
The Minister for Corrective Services announced this week that Southern Queensland Correctional Centre, located in the Lockyer Valley, will be turned into a women’s prison. The facility, which is currently a men’s prison, houses 300 prisoners and is operated by the private company Serco. Serco operates a number of other ....
Posted in:
Criminal Law
Queensland
Court Orders Woman May Use Deceased Partner's Sperm
On 26 June 2018, the Supreme Court of Queensland handed down a decision ordering that Ayla Cresswell could use the sperm of her deceased partner to conceive a child via Assisted Reproductive Therapy (ART). It was a historic decision as no such order had previously been made by an Australian ....
Posted in:
Family Law
Queensland
Queensland Traffic Offenders Program Now Available Online
The award-winning three session Queensland Traffic Offenders Program (QTOP) is now available online. The online program, which aims to educate traffic offenders about the risks of unsafe driving costs $185 and must be completed on a laptop or desktop computer with a camera and a strong internet connection. What does ....
Posted in:
Queensland
Traffic Law
Interstate Drink-Driving Offences - Victoria
From 31 January 2018, people who hold a Victorian driver licence will be held liable for all drink driving offences they commit, regardless of where the offence takes place. In other words, a person found guilty of an interstate drink driving offence will be treated as if the offence was committed ....
Posted in:
Drink Driving
Victoria