The New South Wales government is pushing ahead with a trial that will allow drivers with demerit points to be thrown out earlier if they behave well.
The trial was originally scheduled to start on July 1, but now the Minns Labor Government will allow drivers to have demerit points removed if they maintain a clean driving record since January 17, 2023 and continue to do so until January 17, 2024.
The scheme was announced on January 17, and Transport for NSW is taking a ‘snapshot’ of the demerit points register as it is set on that date to identify all unrestricted and professional licensees with active demerit points recorded against them.
Previously, demerit points remained on the driver’s record for three years.
Students and provisional license holders are not included in the trial.
The government says it expects to take about three months to finalize the offences, so eligible drivers will start seeing one demerit point removed from their driving record from mid-April 2024.
“Reducing road tolls and rewarding safe driving across the state is the aim of this trial and we hope it gives drivers a little extra incentive to achieve a clean record,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said.
“It is time we put safety back at the center of our road regulations, not increasing revenue.
“Our message couldn’t be clearer: drive safely and you’ll get points off your licence. The more people who qualify for one point, the safer our roads will be.”
Roads Minister, John Graham, echoed the Prime Minister’s statement.
“Drivers in NSW are very used to the stick approach, so this demerit trial is an important carrot for them to maintain a clean record over a 12-month period for the benefit of all drivers, pedestrians and the community,” Mr Graham said.
“Under the previous government, there were almost a million demerit points in the record, but road tolls are increasing. Now is the time to try the carrot approach and reward good behavior.
“We need everyone to work together to create a safer driving environment and ultimately drive road trauma to zero.
“The 12-month trial will be carefully examined to assess the impact on road safety and the effectiveness of the demerit point changes.”
New South Wales’ road death toll was 176 on June 25, up from 148 at the same point last year.