NSW drivers who have kept their driving records clean for the past year will have a demerit point wiped to reward their safe driving.

According to the NSW Government, 1.3 million NSW drivers were eligible to have a demerit point removed from their licence, that is those drivers who haven’t incurred a demerit point from 17 January, 2023 until now. 

The demerit return scheme is an ‘incentive’ for safe driving, following a particularly dangerous holiday period on NSW roads. 

“The demerit point trial is all about reducing the road toll and this comes at such a critical time as we urge all drivers to be as safe as possible heading into the end of the year and the summer holiday season when lots of us drive long distances,” Minister for Roads John Graham said. 

“Our message is crystal clear: drive safely and you’ll get a point scrubbed from your licence. The more people who qualify for a point, the safer our roads will be.” 

Usually, it takes three years before a demerit point is removed from a driver’s licence. 

The scheme was announced in June last year, when 1.7 million drivers would have been eligible if they didn’t incur any demerits for the second half of the year. 

During that period, 400,00 drivers became ineligible after committing a driving offence that carried at least one demerit point. 

The scheme was emphasised for regional-based drivers, where road fatalities are almost five times the rate of those in metropolitan areas. 

“I am deeply concerned by the number of lives lost on NSW roads,” Mr Graham said. 

In NSW in the 12 months to 14 December, 337 people have died on the roads – an increase of 61 compared to the same 12-month period last year. 

“The road toll is rising in other states so this is a shared problem across the nation, but we must do all we can here in NSW to make sure everyone gets home safely to their family.”

Seatbelt compliance, mobile phone detection, improved infrastructure, education and police operations also join a combined effort to lower the NSW road toll. 

After several police operations and periods of double demerits over the festive period, it is unclear how many NSW drivers remain eligible to have a single point scrubbed.