The Minns Labor Government has set up a taskforce, comprised of Transport for NSW, NSW Police and Revenue NSW, to crack down on drivers exploiting the demerit point system.
The Demerit Point Integrity Taskforce has been established to identify any fraudulent behaviour in the demerit point scheme, such as drivers racking up high numbers of demerits and those selling demerit points online, including on Facebook Marketplace.
It will investigate any gaming of the legitimate process for nominating another driver to take demerit points for an offence.
The NSW Government is beefing up the system to make it more robust after a recent high-profile case where a French national had more than 200 demerit points applied to his licence.
There are 6.9 million NSW driver licence holders, but the Taskforce will focus on a tiny fraction (0.005%) of drivers who have 20 or more demerit points.
The Taskforce will review the suitability of current penalties, suspensions and what extra measures are available to deter people who rack up extremely high demerits.
For example, a driver with 13 demerit points receives the same five-month suspension as a driver with 20 or more.
The Taskforce will also examine:
- Who is eligible to opt for a good behaviour period in lieu of a suspension, based on how many demerits they have
- The ability for a driver to be back on the road between suspensions. This can occur when, for example, a driver is first suspended for unpaid fines. When that suspension is lifted, a driver with excess demerits will then be served with notice to suspend but is able to drive in the intervening period before the next suspension starts
- Better enforcement options in the case that someone owns a vehicle, does not drive it, but still receives the infringements associated with the vehicle
- Rental companies accessing demerit balance or driving history before approving a rental
The Taskforce will initially run for three months and report its findings to Government.
In light of a rising number of lives being lost on roads across Australia, the NSW Government is committed to improving road safety to keep communities safe.
Earlier in the year, the Minns Labor Government closed the loophole left by the Liberal-National government to ensure all motorists driving on a foreign licence will now have a maximum of six months to convert to a NSW licence.
Minister for Roads John Graham said:
"The demerit point system in NSW was designed more than 50 years ago and has been a key plank in improvements that have enhanced road safety over those five decades.
"The NSW Government has zero tolerance for anyone trying to subvert the system. There is one set of road rules and they apply equally to all.
"This is the right time for Police, Transport for NSW and Revenue NSW to come together to review the demerit point scheme and make sure it remains completely robust."
Acting Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Tara Moriarty said:
"The demerit point system exists for the safety of every road user.
"Unfortunately, the NSW Police Force continue to witness dangerous driver behaviour every day on our roads, from speeding, to drivers using their mobile phones and not driving to the road conditions, these are serious offences that endanger not only the driver's life, but those of their passengers and other road users.
"I want to make clear there is zero tolerance for anyone who tried to subvert the demerit and penalty system. This Taskforce will help ensure the penalties apply to all road users."
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:
"The demerit point system is a key tool to keep drivers accountable for their behaviours on our roads.
"The system is in place to keep everyone safe. The NSW Government is committed to identifying and addressing any opportunities for exploitation that affect the operation of the scheme and put road users at risk.
"Acts like falsely claiming to be the driver and taking points for a fee are criminal and the Taskforce will examine ways to help identify and punish unscrupulous people who take advantage of the system.
"The Taskforce will also consider the most appropriate way for Transport for NSW, NSW Police and Revenue NSW to work together in the future to ensure that the demerit point scheme is fair and equitable for every NSW licence holder and continues to support road safety in NSW."
