The NSW government has announced a year’s extension of the demerit points relief trial. Academy of Road Safety offers driving instructor courses for driving instructors to learn the right way to train new drivers and integrate safer driving practices.

1. Demerit Points Relief for Safe Drivers: Trial Extended

2. Demerit Points Relief for Safe Drivers: Trial Extended
• The NSW government has announced a year’s extension of the demerit points relief trial.
Trained driving instructors can help drivers integrate safer driving practices.
• Ever wondered why your driving instructor put so much emphasis on driving safely? Every
day, so many lives are lost due to rash driving and irresponsible behavior on the road.
• While penalising such offenders is essential, it’s more important to prevent such mishaps
by encouraging drivers to be safer and take responsibility when driving.
• So, to encourage safer driving, the NSW government initiated a trial from 17th January
2023 to 16th January 2024, offering demerit points relief for safe drivers.
• In this program, drivers maintaining a clean record during the trial period are qualified to
have a demerit point removed from their license. Now, the NSW government has
announced extending this trial program for a second year. This new program, created to
prompt safe driving habits, is a welcome development for drivers throughout the state.

3. Extension Announcement
• The NSW government has extended this trial program aiming to reward responsible
driving behavior for another year.
• It considers all unrestricted license holders in NSW, including professional drivers, eligible
to be included in the program.
• The motive is to see how effective it is in promoting safer driving habits in drivers. When
drivers are motivated to gain a reduction in demerits, they will readily follow safe driving
practices.
• The ultimate goal is to reduce road incidents as much as possible. Through this program,
the government will check whether and how it prompts drivers to drive safely.

4. Positive Feedback and Early Results
• The one-year trial brought positive feedback from the participants.
• Drivers felt that the chance to reduce demerits was a good motivation to stick to dariving
rules.
• The early results of the program were also encouraging as many drivers worked hard to
maintain a record that is free of offenses in the trial period.
• The participants agree that it is a good way to promote safer driving habits. Many are
looking to enrol in driving schools to learn more about safe driving practices.
• It has also led to a direct increase in driving instructor courses as there’s an increased
scope of succeeding as an instructor.

5. Proactive Engagement
• This program is not just an assessment of drivers, it is also a drive to instill safe driving
practices in more and more drivers.
• Hence, this program also emphasizes proactive engagement with the drivers.
• The government provides educational materials and outreach efforts to improve the
drivers’ understanding of road rules. It encourages joining driving schools to learn safe
driving practices.
• Even driving instructors in Sydney, and other states are more motivated to focus on
developing safe driving habits in new drivers.

6. Policy Making and Evidence-based Decisions
• With this program, the government has also demonstrated its commitment to evidence-
based policy-making.
• The government is taking proactive measures to enhance road safety for everyone in the
country.
• This initiative demonstrates the government’s willingness to take the required measures
to keep the roads safe for everyone.

7. Long-term Impact Evaluation
• While this program is currently a trial, the government is hoping to make it a permanent
part of road safety in Australia.
• So, extending the trial gives the policymakers a chance to properly study the data and
insights gathered over a considerable period and make informed decisions regarding it.
• The demerit points relief initiative is one such chance for drivers to learn from and rectify
their mistakes.
• However, it requires the help of driving schools and other institutions to make people
aware of safe driving practices.
• Many institutions like the Academy of Road Safety offer driving instructor courses for
driving instructors to learn the right way to train new drivers.
• Trained driving instructors can help new drivers better understand and integrate safer
driving practices. Now, we should do our part by incorporating safe and responsible
driving techniques to make this initiative successful!

8. Contact Us
Phone:1300 967 467
Email: aors@onroad.com.au
Website: https://academyofroadsafety.edu.au/