More than 1 million NSW drivers have demerit point erased after year of safe driving

Of 1.7 million drivers originally eligible to have a demerit point erased under a Minns government election promise, 1.24 million have met the critieria to see it happen.

More than a million motorists had a demerit point scrubbed from their licence this week, after being rewarded for their safe driving over what’s been a horrific 12 months on our roads.

The 12-month demerit point trial, which ended on January 16, was a Minns government election promise to help encourage drivers to follow the rules.

Of the 1.7 million drivers originally eligible, 1.24 million had a demerit point erased this week for remaining offence-free from January 17, 2023.

Premier Chris Minns said the main aim of the trial was reducing the road toll – which totalled 351 people last year – a 25 per cent increase on 2022.

In the first 18 days of this year, 17 people have already been killed on NSW roads.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has followed through on his election promise to scrub some demerit points. Picture: NCA Newswire

“I am deeply concerned by the number of lives lost on NSW roads, and we all have a responsibility to do more,” he said.

“There is no acceptable road toll and that’s why we are using both the carrot and the stick approach to encouraging safer driving.”

The NSW government will keep the trial active in 2024, meaning drivers could win back another demerit point in early 2025 if they abide by the road rules for a full year.

“Our message couldn’t be clearer: drive safely and you’ll get a point scrubbed from your licence,” Mr Minns said.

“The more drivers who follow the road rules, the more who will qualify to have a point removed in 2024 and keep our roads safe.”

Data from Transport for NSW shows there are about 114,000 drivers with more than 10 demerit points on their licences, according to a snapshot taken this month.

The accumulation of 13 demerit points leads to an unrestricted licence being cancelled.

The extension of the scheme follows the government’s recently announced road safety forum. The event will be held next month to discuss how to address the road toll, which has risen across Australia as traffic volumes have rebounded following COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.

Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Jenny Aitchison said the message to drivers couldn’t be clearer in the light of last year’s tragic road toll.

“Whether you are walking, riding, or driving — every decision we make on the road can have life-changing consequences, affecting not only those directly involved in a crash, but also their loved ones and the community at large,” she said.

“We urge everyone on our roads to make safety your top priority.”

While the trial ended on January 16, motorists can expect to see the removal of a demerit point from their records from April.

The lag period allows for recent offence notifications to be received and some court matters settled before a final list of offence-free drivers can be finalised.
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