Demerit points are one of the punishments for a number of driving infractions. Depending on the offence, they can range from one to six points, and they double during long weekends and on holidays.
Of course, the cops don’t offer you gold stars for good driving; instead, they only take your licence away for misbehaviour. If things go really horribly, you may have to spend some time sitting in the corner without a car to play with. Like our schools, Australian states don’t all play by the same set of rules, so before you wear the dunce’s hat of a licence suspension, you need to be aware of how much toying around you can get away with. Keep an eye on the back.
Of course, almost every driver has experienced the tense, squeaky-bum sensation that comes with spotting blue and red lights in the rearview mirror. It’s hard to predict how much the traffic stop will cost you in money and demerit points at that awful moment.
Despite being inconvenient, the cash punishment is at least predictable; the more serious the offence, the larger the fine. But the government also assigns demerit points for specific offences in order to make sure that wealthy people aren’t free to break the law at will. If you rack up enough points, you could find yourself on a bus (or possibly the back of a chauffeured limo) with your licence suspended, regardless of your financial situation.
Actually, You Begin With 0 Points.
The most typical misconception about the demerit-point system is that you start with a certain number of points and that each offence you commit reduces those points until you reach zero, at which point your licence will be suspended.
However, every driver in Australia actually starts out with zero demerit points, and as you commit offences, more points are added (imagine them as poo-brown coloured stars) until you reach a certain number.
Depending on where you live, that could be one or more demerit points. The magic number in WA is an expectedly low 11, but it is 12 in Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland.
In WA, you have up to 13 points to earn before you must take a three-month or longer break from driving. There are greater risks if you are a new driver because Australia only allows four demerit points for L- and P-plates. Additionally, they can add up quickly.
What You Do To Earn Demerit Points
That much is evident, then. However, the Enigma machine is needed to interpret how demerit-point punishments are determined. Not just because earning points—think frequent flyer miles, hotel memberships, or credit card rewards—is actually a bad thing is perhaps the only other example on the planet.
Unfortunately, the system is not only harsh but also almost purposefully ambiguous: in WA alone, there are more than 200 distinct traffic offences (so you don’t just get demerit points for speeding), and the majority of them come with their own demerit point penalty, the severity of which also depends on the day of the week, whether the offence was committed in a school zone, and the type of licence you have.
Because of this, getting stopped by a police officer or being detected by a safety camera typically results in the worst form of fortunate dip, where each gift is a progressively worse surprise.
In WA, is it legal to go 10 km/h over the speed limit? I’ll deduct one point for it. It’s four points unless you’re on your Ls or Ps. Unless it’s a school zone and you’re on your Ls or Ps, in which case you lose five points. Unless you are in a school zone and are not on your Ls or Ps, in which case you receive three points. Unless it’s a public holiday with double demerits, in which case you might as well start walking right now.
Read on to learn about the most frequent demerit offences in Australia’s most populous states, how to check the number of demerit points you’ve racked up, and what to do if you’re getting close to the limit.
Bonus Points-WA
WA’s lengthy and intricate list of penalties is the most perplexing, despite being by far the most charitable state in that it grants its drivers an extra point before going to the sin bin. While professional drivers (including taxi or courier drivers – yeah, seriously, taxi drivers) can accrue 14, WA drivers are only permitted to accumulate 13 demerit points. Learner and P1 Provisional drivers are only allowed to accumulate four points, whereas P2 Provisional drivers receive seven points.
The Following Are Common Offences (Based On A Full Licence, Not In A School Zone):
One point for exceeding the speed limit by at most 10 km/h.
Speeding between 10 and 20 km/h over 3 points
20–30 km/h speeding: Four points
Three points for running a red light.
Driving while using a phone: Four points
The Offence You Were Unaware Of:
Bad parking: In WA, parking too close to a pedestrian crossing is punishable by one demerit point in addition to a fine.
How To Determine Your Demerit Point Check WA Total:
You can check your point balance here, WA drivers.
Demerit Points-WA
Living in WA is infamously like being in the mobile Hunger Games, with car-hating authorities constantly coming up with novel and creative ways to catch drivers breaking the law. Some of these methods include concealing speed cameras under camouflage netting (yes, this really happens), under bridges, pedestrian overpasses, or in the trunk of unmarked vans. If you reside in Victoria and drive, it’s likely that you’ve already lost your licence, but just in case, drivers can accumulate 11 demerit points, whereas P- or L-plate holders only receive four.
The following are common offences (based on a full licence, not in a school zone):
exceeding the posted limit by no more than 10 km/h: One issue
Over-the-limit driving: three points
Speeding between 25 to 35 km/h: 4 points
Red light disregarding: three points
Driving while using a phone: Four points
The offence you were unaware of:
The high-beamer: In WA, it’s not simply rude to not lower your high lights when passing an approaching vehicle; doing so also results in one penalty point.
How to determine your point total:
Here, WA can view their current point balance.
Demerit Merit points – WA
The most lenient demerit-point policies in Australia are found in Western Australia. Praise be! Low-range speeding violations don’t result in demerit points, while mid- and high-range violations result in demerit penalties that are less severe than those in WA and Victoria.
The following are common offences (based on a full licence, not in a school zone):
Zero points if you speed by no more than 9 km/h.
Speeding between 9 and 19 km/h: two points
Speeding between 19 and 29 km/h: three points
Red light disregarding: three points
three points about using a phone while driving
The offence you were unaware of:
Driveway danger: In Western Australia, look out for anyone using the pavement as they exit your driveway. You will receive three penalty points if you pull out in front of someone.
How to determine your point total:
Here is where WA drivers can check their point balance.
QLD merit points
The truth, at least on the state’s roadways, is a little different from what Queenslanders would have you believe. They would have you believe that their state is some sort of lawless Wild West where men hunt and women join One Nation. The Queensland system of demerit points is roughly comparable to the rest of the nation; fully licenced drivers are permitted to accumulate 12 demerit points, but L- and P-plate drivers are only permitted four.
The following are common offences (based on a full licence, not in a school zone):
Speeding at 13 km/h or less: 1 point
13 to 20 kph over the limit: three points
20–30 km/h speeding: Four points
Red light disregarding: three points
three points about using a phone while driving
The offence you were unaware of:
The island way of life: It is against the law to drive a hire car—yes, a hire car—on Fraser Island with a load on its roof. You will receive three points for doing so.
How to determine your point total:
WA can use this page to check their point balance.
Points for Demerit— Australia
Australian drivers frequently are unaware they have broken the law until the citation arrives in the mail, making it another country with concealed speed cameras. A driver can accumulate 12 points, but an L- or P-plate holder can only accumulate four. Once the maximum number has been achieved, you will be given the chance to utilise Australia’s top-notch public transit system. Depending on how many points you’ve racked up, for how long: A three-month suspension for 12 to 15 points, a four-month suspension for 16 to 20, and a five-month suspension for more than 20 points results in you sobbing on the bus.
The following are common offences (based on a full licence, not in a school zone):
Speeding at 10 km/h or less: 2 points
Speeding between 10 and 20 km/h: three points
Speeding between 20 and 30 km/h: 5 points
Red light disregarding: three points
three points about using a phone while driving
The offence you were unaware of:
You know how people flash their high beams to alert other drivers when they see a police car waiting to pull over automobiles moving in the opposite direction because it’s only polite to do so? That is known as “using your headlights to dazzle people” in Australia, and it is punishable by one demerit point.
How to determine your point total:
Australian drivers can check their point balance right here.
What to do after reaching your maximum number of demerit points
Not to worry; there is yet hope. Each of the aforementioned states offers a “good-behaviour option,” also known as the “double-or-nothing gamble”. The specifics vary slightly depending on where you live, but the basic structure is the same: if you accumulate the maximum number of points permitted, you will receive a letter offering you the option of accepting the suspension you are facing or continuing to drive for a set period of time, typically 12 months, without accruing any more demerit points. The government will increase the initial suspension period if you break the rules during that timeframe—and we’re only talking about one point here.
Yes, the entire system portrays the government as your benevolent nanny or your Kindy teacher, but this is what we’ve allowed to happen. And the better chance you have of continuing to travel, the more you know.
