Demerit Point Reforms: Trial of the Carrot and the Stick
Over the past forty eight hours both the State Government and Opposition have unveiled policies to reform demerit points in New South Wales.
Our main priority should be for road safety. I note that road fatalities and serious injuries on metropolitan roads have been trending down over recent years and that is welcome news but we need to drive the fatality and serious injury rate on our regional roads down.
The Opposition’s policy is that of a 12 month trial and proposes that drivers with demerits will lose one demerit point in a 12 month period provided there are no road or traffic infringements within those 365 days.
The NRMA have welcomed these reforms and stated “The NRMA welcomes the reforms by the NSW Opposition to introduce a trial whereby drivers who do the right thing for 12 months receive a demerit point back on their licence or gain one back”.
The Government’s policy is that drivers who commit minor road offences will have their fines waived in a move in a bid to encourage safer driving behaviour. This applies to drivers with a three year clean record and can only be used once during this period. Some of the minor offences include low-range speeding, driving in a bus lane or disobeying no turn signs. However, fines for more serious offences like drink driving, mid to high range speeding or using a mobile phone will not be included in the Government’s proposed reforms.
I will back legislation that creates a safer environment for drivers, better road infrastructure and lowers fatalities and serious injury on regional roads.
Unsafe drivers should not be on our roads and should not be given a free pass.
However, we can use both a carrot and a stick together. I am interested in seeing what impacts a 12 month trial of demerit point reform would offer; if that improves conditions on regional roads then I am for it. I would also want to know that the proposed waivers of low-level fines after three years of a clean record did improve driving safety.