Plate auction to smash record for the benefit of road safety

The sale of seventeen personalised number plates up for auction tonight – including historic plates like BENTLEY – will go directly to road safety around Queensland.

Other seven-character plates, including CRICKET and ENGLAND, will also go under the hammer at the auction and are expected to smash previous year’s records.

Personalised Plates Queensland (PPQ) will hand over $11 million to Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas, who will open the floor to bidding at the annual Collector Plate Auction at this year’s Brisbane International Motor Show.

“People come to see what the collectors will pay – Q-Series plates are the biggest drawcard with Q1 the most expensive plate ever sold for $100,000 to Queensland icon Stefan, now worth $1 million,” Mr Lucas said.

“Last year the most expensive number plate ever sold at the auction, Q162 went for $15 000. This year a few Q-Series plates will be up for auction and we’ll have some seven-character plates that will steal the show too.”

Mr Lucas said the auction not only gave collectors the opportunity to bid on elusive plates but some the funds from these sales and the sale of other plates in Queensland go directly back into road safety initiatives.

“It’s a bonus for collectors to know their big investment and the $11 million handed over from over 40 000 plate sales last year will help keep Queenslanders safe on our roads.”

“$38.5 million has been provided to Queensland Transport over five years which has gone towards road safety education programs, cycling and pedestrian safety, Intelligent Transport Systems strategy and the road safety strategy.”

Mr Lucas said the money generated would help add to the State Government’s road safety program.

“In the past year we’ve implemented anti-hooning laws, double demerit points for high speedsters, alcohol restrictions for supervisors of L-Platers and immediate licence suspensions for high risk and repeat drink drivers,” he said.

“This year we’re introducing the young drivers program, installation of speed camera reminder signs, and demerit points for heavy vehicle driver fatigue offences.”

Mr Lucas said though the Beattie Government is implementing road safety initiatives on a number of fronts it also comes down individual road-user responsibility.

“We’re designing safer roads, better advertising campaigns and providing targeted road safety funding, but each motorist has to take responsibility for how they drive.

“In Queensland last year, 336 people died on our roads.”

“One death is one too many and this money will go a long way towards a wide range of safety initiatives that will help to prevent road deaths.”

“Eight percent of the state’s registered vehicles have personalised plates – this means over 250,000 Queenslander’s have directly contributed to making our roads safer thanks to this partnership between Queensland Transport and PPQ,” he said.

The Brisbane International Motor Show is running until next Sunday, 11 February.