More than 1.7 million drivers will be eligible to have a demerit point scrubbed from their licence after Parliament endorsed a trial to encourage safer driving.
The Road Transport Amendment (Demerit Point Reduction Trial) Bill 2023 has passed both houses and will come into effect six months earlier than originally flagged.
To qualify for a demerit point to be wiped, drivers who have not incurred any demerits since January 17 will need to continue that spotless behaviour until January 17 next year. It normally takes three years for a demerit point to be expunged from a driver’s record.
The trial, which was announced as a policy during the state election, had originally been slated to start on July 1, but the Government said it is determined to allow drivers who do the right thing the chance to shed a demerit point sooner.
It is expected to take about three months to finalise offences, so eligible drivers will start seeing one demerit point removed from mid-April 2024.
“This is good news for safe driving. We want to encourage drivers to do the right thing which is why we are adding this incentive into the licence system rather than only relying on deterrents and demerits to get the road safety message through,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said.
“Reducing the road toll and rewarding safe driving across the state is the aim of this trial and I am pleased the Parliament agreed, with bipartisan support.
“It’s time we put safety back at the centre of our road rules, not revenue raising.”
Learner and provisional licence holders are not included in the trial given they are subject to strict conditions of the NSW Graduated Licensing Scheme.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.