Almost 1.1 million drivers across New South Wales are set to have a demerit point removed from their licence in the next five weeks as part of the state government's ongoing road safety initiative to reward safe drivers.
Launched by the Minns government in response to a troubling road toll, the trial program rewards good driving behaviour by wiping one demerit point from drivers who remain offence-free for 12 months. This scheme aims to encourage safer driving habits, particularly during the busy Christmas and New Year period when the roads see a significant increase in traffic.
In NSW, drivers on their full licenses can accumulate up to 13 demerit points before facing the risk of having their unrestricted licence cancelled.
As the second year of the trial nears its conclusion on January 16, the government has released a breakdown of the areas where drivers are on track to benefit from the scheme.
Some locations have thousands of drivers set to have a point wiped, while others, including parts of regional NSW, have only a handful of eligible drivers.
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The Central Coast region has seen the biggest gain, with 54,971 drivers set to benefit from the program. Other areas, particularly in Sydney’s west, have also seen significant participation, with suburbs like Blacktown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Liverpool, Parramatta, The Hills, Penrith, and Fairfield collectively contributing to 290,287 demerit points being wiped.
While this may seem encouraging for many, the timing of this announcement is critical, as the state is grappling with an already rising road toll.
As of Thursday, 321 fatalities have been reported on NSW roads in 2024 — two more than at the same point last year.
The number of Drivers in Cowra to have a demerit cleared is 1,172. Neighbouring towns also weighing in to benefit, with hundreds of drivers set to have points cleared.
Canowindra: 259
Woodstock: 150
Koorawatha: 63
Gooloogong: 53
Greenethorpe: 27
Wyangala: 23
Billimari: 17
Reids Flat: 7
Roads Minister John Graham emphasised that even a single demerit point could be the deciding factor in whether someone can continue to drive. “For people who drive for a living, the reward for safe driving could be the difference between keeping their job or losing their livelihood,” Mr Graham said. “The broader effect is that safety on our roads is improved when people make the right decisions, like sticking to speed limits and following the rules.”
Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison pointed out that despite regional areas making up just a third of the state's population, they account for more than two-thirds of all road fatalities.
This underlines the importance of such programs in promoting safer driving in rural and regional areas like Cowra.
As we head into the festive season, with its increased travel and higher road risks, this initiative offers a timely reminder for all drivers to make safe choices on the roads.
