NSW speed demerit points to be lowered
February 23, 2009 by Matt Brogan
The NSW Government is set to announce a reduction in the amount of demerit points relating to minor speeding offences within the next few days.
While the amount of points pertaining to exceeding the limit by less than 15km/h is currently three in NSW it is understood that this could be lowered to one, to bring the state in line with the Victorian system.
More then 60,000 motorists lost their licenses in NSW in 2008. Under the current system a driver can have their license cancelled if they accrue more than 12 demerit points within a two-year period.
“The overwhelming majority are P-platers because we’ve got a zero tolerance for P-platers speeding, so I can’t apologise for being tough on P-platers,” Roads Minister Michael Daley said. “Some people want me to be tougher. I don’t know how much tougher I can be. We want to send a message that there is no such thing as safe speeding because there isn’t. I still say losing three points for low range speeding – five, six or seven kilometres over the limit – is harsh. It’s unfair. I’ll be lowering that.”
Print it: 
Could lower the fine amounts too………lol
I think people should be fined fewer points, but I think that also there should be an increase in the number of police targeting this practice.
Drive to Canberra on any given day and stay at the stated speed, and you will be overtaken by everyone. This is where we need more policing, because these driving habits intimidate younger and less experienced drivers, and scare those that have children in their cars.
This article says you can have license cancelled for accruing 12 points in 2 year period.
Its a 3 year period, see here: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/rule.....eritpoints
Funnily enough, news.com.au had a similar article many months ago and made the same mistake with 2 year period.
Anyway, losing 3 points for a few k’s over the limit is over the top.
…try $240 od plus 3 points for driving in a bus lane…seriously some fines are just idiotic. I made the mistake of being in a bus lane once on the syd harbour bridge. peak hour, got into wrong lane, couldn’t get out. i explained my case via a letter and got a response saying “sorry can’t change it, pay up sucker” (well something to that extent anyway).
a few weeks later, not only one of the largest fines i’ve gotten monetary wise, but also 3 points!
bus lane fines should be zero points but a larger cash fine.
Those of us who drive properly won’t be worried about any of this.
The emphasised a zero tolerance for P-platers…… they did not mentions a zero tolerance for those with a full licence. To me this says that we can get away with a few km/h over.
If this is the case it will be up to the officer as to how much you will get away with. If he/she is having a sh** day they could vary their “tolerance”.
They should let us know how much(if any), tolerance we have or just say its at zero.
Thay prob relize that so many people are losing there licence from speed cameras for small offences that thay have to lower the point system a bit
That god for 25yrs I lived in the N.T. and enjoyed unrestricted speed limits on the open roads now that they have speed limits their death toll has gone up most expressways in NSW can tolerate speed limits of 120kmh instead of 110kmh the most laughable speed limit of 50kmh on a six lane highway is the one at Heathcote
laurie
Lower demerit points translates to higher revenue. Once you disqualify a driver’s license, they are no longer “a good earner”. The longer you keep people on the road paying fines, the more cash you rake in.
Adam, you tosser.
School zones, etc. 40kph is stupid. I drive through them with my eyes glued to the speedo. If I hit a kid, it’s his fault. If I was going at 45 by accident, but watching the road, the kid would not be hit.
um….
What Mick said!
Snake, Any way you look at it, Adam is right. If you don’t have a pretty accurate feel for 40KM/H without looking at the speedo, I suggest you drive even slower (crawl) through school zones, always better safe than sorry. Please don’t be so blase’ about “hitting” a kid. Anyone who has done so will tell you it will never leave you.
Ooh that’s good I can drive faster now and not lose my license so quick. Good effort.
laurie.r.e. the speed limits inthe NT the death did not go up on the open road it stayed about the same.however road deaths in built up areas have escalated due to drink speed and no belts,when we still had the open limit you could still get done for speed dangerous meaning you had to prove to the courts why 200 kph was not dangerous very dificult believe mewe now have 130kph and a demerit systym,the demerits have had no effect on road toll in the NT.
Demerits.. double demerits… triple friggin demerits… quadruple demerits….demerits x 100… demerits suck.
Snake: You are clearly not one of the ‘us’ that i speak of.
Simon I agree but Snake has a good point…… one which has come to light several times in the past.
There are so many motorists out there that spend more time looking at the speedo than watching the road and surroundings. I never speed through school zones but admittedly I am eyeing off the speedo more than I normally would.
The same has been said about fixed speed cameras. More eyes staring through the steering wheel as opposed to above it.
I don’t actually drive like that, just making a point. It’s easy to go a couple to kph over the limit, especially when the cameras are on a downhill slope (I didn’t think the RTA was allowed to put them on hills.)
Keeping to the speed limit is important, but it’s poor driving skills that are real problem.
I definitely agree with only 1 demerit for 0-10kph over.
1 – state govts ‘budget’ with forecast revenue from speed cameras – this is blatant revenue raising.
2 – the NT govt introduced speed limits on their previously unlimited highways, and road deaths have increased since.
Adam, I used to think as you do, but now realize just how easy it is to inadvertantly drive a few kmh over the limit. Once, it was not paying attention to the time (2:35) – busted at 58kmh in a school zone. Another time, not realizing I was in a 50 zone at 1am – busted at 59kmh. I had no offences for 15 years, and have now lost my license for 6 months, due to copping 5 tickets for less than 10k over in 3 years. Here was me thinking I was one of the responsible ones, as I “always” drive within the limit!
One would think that there was an election coming up in NSW. Surprise, surprise there is. Sarcasm intended.
dont worry spitfire,lowering the demerits point isn’t going to save this lying incompetent labour party at the next election.
its true what can happen to good drivers like dean. a 15 yr clean record should count for something.20,000km pa times 15yrs is 300,000km driven is an excellent record,yet minor infractions costing 3 pionts out of 12 over a huge time span of 3yrs is ridiculous.
what do the authorities expect from every driver,a million kms befor they say “oh perhaps you are a good driver”.
they are always chastising us but they never reward or praise or have any system to aspire to for having a good clean record for 5,10,15or 20yrs. And you wonder why we all have sceptacism towards police,parking offices,and the RTA.
Anti spam word = ‘faster’.
Sorry Dean but that’s what you get for being mostly a law abiding citizen. Perhaps if you steal cars, ram-raid a few shops and knock over old ladies on pension day then the courts will go a bit easier on you. When going through a school zone, you should never take your eyes off the speedo. Inattention is the biggest cause of accidents but it can’t be measured so the govt go after speeding. Revenue above road safety.
Haha, You alltalk about how rediculous it is for speeding demerits, try this, Three points and $250 for my P plate…only it was on and because “I cant see your P plate on your tinted,slanted glass” I got stung with it. last I checked, we dont design the cars and when they say ‘you need a magnetic plate’ Would you honestly put one of them on your duco. when it states that doing so may damage your paintwork? Dont think so….
Has any person or organisation conducted a study whereby people’s demerit points are compared to their actual accident records? I have an aquaintance who is an insurance actuary specialising in motor insurance. He tells me that the insurance companies unofficially ignore demerit points on driving records when calculating premiums because they are absolutely no indication of driving ability. Apparently it is an open secret that those with zero or few demerit points tend to have vastly more insurance claims then those who have many demerits, mainly due to govt defined ’speeding’!
Does that tell anyone anything?
i can only talk about myself, i been driving since i was 18….i’m 54 now i hold a HC licence. never been involved in any car accidents, few fines YES… but never been booked for driving over 15 kilometers the speed limit. now i lost my licence, i only mention one fine…lost 6 points during double demerits for not having a seat belt. driving from shop to shop around the corner from each other. doing night deliveries. now not only i feel i been robbed. but i feel i’m a prison on my own home. and lost my job. FOR WHAT ?????????? i believe them people who make the road rules dont even drive….you deserve to be sued for hardship. stress. lost of job….and what family will go through with out licence. its a joke.