DEMERIT POINTS TRIAL CONTINUES ANOTHER YEAR

Driving is not a bed of roses; it requires focus, alertness, and road awareness. It also requires that drivers follow the road rules and take responsibility when driving. There’s a good reason why driving schools insist on teaching defensive driving to new drivers through programs like the Safer Drivers Course. Many offences, big or small, are committed by drivers that can hurt or inconvenience other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the road.

For example, in 2023, the Victorian government recorded 6597 seatbelt offences committed by motorists. Not wearing a seatbelt puts the drivers and passengers at risk. And yet, drivers often forget to wear a belt and end up paying penalties. Encouraging safe driving practices like wearing a seatbelt is the need of the hour. While the Australian government has followed the demerit points scheme for many years, it still fails to motivate drivers to drive safely. The Demerit Points Relief Trial is another attempt to cultivate a safety-first mindset in the drivers. And it has been received well by the public. The latest extension of this trial scheme promises more improvement in road safety in Australia.

WHAT ARE DEMERIT POINTS?

So, what are these demerit points? Demerit points are penalty points given to drivers who commit certain offences. This demerit points scheme was introduced in Australia way back in 1969. In this scheme, drivers are allocated demerit points as well as penalties for offences in five categories namely parking, speeding, heavy vehicles, school zones, and general offences. And if drivers commit offences of seatbelt, speeding, mobile phone, and motorcycle helmet during public holidays, they receive double demerits. During holidays, the penalties for offences in school zones are also higher.

And if drivers reach their demerit points limit, their licenses can also be suspended. The demerit points limit is the number of demerits points a driver can accumulate before their license is suspended. This limit differs according to the type of license the driver holds.

Demerits points can affect your driving negatively in various ways. They can lead to an increase in car insurance premium amounts and can also lead to rejection of insurance renewal. They can also cause you to lose your license or get suspended.

Before the demerit points relief scheme was introduced, demerits were permanent. However, with the introduction of demerit points relief trials, there’s a new hope among drivers for a chance to get their licenses free of any demerits.

WHAT IS THE DEMERIT POINTS RELIEF SCHEME?

The demerit points relief was a trial scheme introduced in Australia from 17 January 2023 until 16 January 2024. It was introduced to reward responsible drivers for their safe driving. If a driver maintains an offence-free record for an entire year, they stand a chance to deduct one demerit point from their license. The idea is to make this chance to reduce demerit points from the license a motivation for drivers to drive safely and responsibly.

The main purpose of this trial is to encourage drivers to instill safe driving practices and develop a safety-first mindset, paving the way for safer roads in the future. This trial includes all unrestricted NSW license holders, including professional drivers. However, learner and provisional license holders are not included in this scheme as they are subject to the conditions of the Graduated Licensing Scheme.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The demerit points relief trial runs for a year. In this scheme, if an eligible driver maintains an offense-free record during the trial period, one demerit point will be removed from their driving record. As a license holder commits an offense that warrants a demerit, points are added to their driving record. Demerit points stay active for three years, starting from the date of the offense. Once the trial period is over, the Transport for NSW identifies those who are eligible for demerit point deduction. The demerit point deduction processing period starts in mid-April and takes approximately six months to complete.

DEMERIT POINTS TRIAL EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER YEAR

- The NSW government has announced an extension of the trial period in the hopes of getting more people focused on safe driving practices. Here’s a rundown of what to expect from this scheme in the upcoming year:

- Just like last year, all unrestricted NSW license holders, including professional drivers, are eligible for the trial.

- Once again, learner and provisional license holders are not a part of this trial.

- The trial runs from 17 January 2024 to 16 January 2025, and no registration is needed since all unrestricted license holders are automatically included.

- If eligible drivers don’t commit any offences during the trial period, they are eligible to have one demerit point removed from their record.

- After the trial ends, Transport for NSW will start identifying eligible drivers for the point deduction in mid-April 2025, with the process expected to take about six months.

CONCLUSION

Rash driving and irresponsible behavior claim a lot of lives on the road every day. With the demerit point’s relief scheme, the NSW government is hoping and striving to promote road safety and instill safe driving practices in the drivers. However, the government also needs the help of the public to make the roads safer. Driving schools like On road, offering Safer Driver Courses and many organizations promoting safe driving through community events is a step forward towards road safety. The extension of the demerits points’ relief trial has brought fresh hope for safe and responsible driving in the future.

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