New South Wales Removes Demerit Point for 1.3 Million Drivers

Traffic is gridlocked in Sydney, Australia, on March 12, 2014. Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The New South Wales (NSW) government has decided to wipe one demerit point—penalty points for violating certain traffic rules—for nearly 1.3 million drivers in the state in a move to encourage safe driving behaviours.

This decision follows an announcement made by the NSW government in December, which stated that drivers who maintained a clean driving record for one year could have a demerit point erased from their licence.

At the time, around 1.3 million drivers were eligible for the trial program, down from 1.7 million at the beginning of 2023.

While all drivers start with zero demerit points, they can quickly accumulate points if committing an offence while driving or riding.

Drivers can lose their licence if they reach the demerit point limit, which is 13 points for an unrestricted licence in NSW (12 points in other Australian states).

Normally, it takes three years for a demerit point to be wiped from a driving licence. However, the trial program shortens this process by two-thirds.

The NSW government hoped that the move could incentivise motorists to drive more safely amid increased road accidents in 2023.

While touting the trial program as a “success,” NSW Premier Chris Minns acknowledged that the demerit point would not be wiped immediately and might take up to three months due to pending court cases and bureaucracy.

“Unfortunately, that is the quickest we can do at the moment,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Roads Minister John Graham said that any drivers who missed out on the trial program could still have a chance as it had been extended for another year.

“If they can keep a clean sheet over the next 12 months, they’ll have a chance to earn a point back,” he said.

Sharp Rise in Road Toll

The NSW government’s announcement comes after a report by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) indicated that the death toll on Australian roads in the 12 months to Nov. 30, 2023, was 6.3 percent higher (1,253) compared to the previous year.

It was the highest record since March 2018.

South Australia saw the most significant increase in road toll at 61.4 percent (113 deaths), followed by NSW (354 deaths) at 23.8 percent, and Victoria (285 deaths) at 14.5 percent.

Despite the sharp rise in the death toll, the AAA said they could not figure out the reason due to a lack of information.

“Month after month, road deaths keep rising, and we lack the information needed to identify the reasons for this deadly trend and to develop the most effective measures for reducing crashes,” AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said in a statement.

“The states and territories have crucial data on the quality of Australian roads, the causes of crashes, and law enforcement pattern—but they are not sharing this information.”

Meanwhile, the NSW government is preparing to implement a crackdown on seatbelt noncompliance.

Mobile phone detection cameras across the state will be reconfigured to detect whether motorists wear seatbelts when driving.

The measure is expected to come into effect by the end of 2024.