More than a million NSW drivers still eligible for demerit point reduction scheme

As New South Wales gears up for the summer holiday festive season, the government is incentivising all drivers to recommit to safe driving practices.

The NSW Government has announced today that 1.3 million NSW drivers still have the chance to have a demerit point wiped from their drive licence within the next five weeks – if they remain free from infringements.

Rewarding safer drivers

The one-year demerit point scheme trial, aimed at promoting safe driving and improving road safety, concludes on 17 January 2024.

Originally slated to commence six months later, the trial was initiated in June of 2023, giving drivers who maintained a spotless record the opportunity to shed a demerit point sooner.

Drivers that have maintained an unblemished driving record since 17 January 2023 will see a demerit point erased from their license. The uptake rate for the trail has prompted the government to extend the demerit offer into 2024.

The government is urging motorists to view this as an incentive for safer driving, particularly given the alarming increase in the national road toll throughout 2023. At the trial's outset earlier year, 1.7 million motorists were eligible, but almost 400,000 have since committed offenses carrying at least one demerit point.

Alarming statistics in lives lost

In the 12 months leading to 14 December 2023, 337 lives have been lost on NSW roads, marking an increase of 61 compared to the same period in the year prior.

"The demerit point trial is all about reducing the road toll, and this comes at such a critical time,” Minister for Roads John Graham said.

“We urge all drivers to be as safe as possible heading into the end of the year and the summer holiday season when lots of us drive long distances."

As more motorists embark on holiday journeys and festive adventures, the government encourages everyone to be the driving force behind safer roads.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison also stresses that motorists be “especially cautious near curves and bends, where more than half of all rural road fatalities occur".

The NRMA also recommends the following top safer driving tips from NRMA safer driving instructors:

• Attentiveness: Stay alert at all times while driving to anticipate and avoid potential crashes.
• Buffer zones: Maintain ample space between you and a vehicle in front, and increase that space at higher speeds.
• Driving tired, intoxicated, drugged or distracted: A standard drink, some prescription drugs, doziness or having your mind elsewhere can reduce attentiveness and make reflexes slow. Your split second reactions could mean the difference between being in a crash and avoiding one.
• Night driving: Slow down in low visibility conditions such as when driving at night or in the rain.
• Country roads: Country roads can be narrow, winding, rough and full of surprises including wildlife, large trucks and holes. Adhere to advisory signs, avoid speeding, and stay alert. Be ready to slow down or move over for passing vehicles, and avoid the edges of the road.

The NSW Government is investing almost $2.6 billion into its 2026 Road Safety Action Plan, which includes seatbelt compliance through mobile phone detection cameras, improved infrastructure, education, and funding of police operations. The demerit point trial serves as a collaborative effort between the government and motorists to create a safer, more responsible driving culture in NSW.

For more information on the demerit point scheme trial or to check how many demerit points you have, visit the Service NSW website.