The Traffic Demerit Point Scheme has been designed to encourage responsible driving. Under this system, the licence of a traffic offender can be suspended for a certain number of months, following a traffic offence.
How Demerit Points System Works?
You have zero demerit points when you have not committed any traffic offence. Different types of licences have different demerit limits or points. A set of demerit points comes with a penalty to deter drivers from committing traffic offences.
Here is the breakdown of traffic demerit limits:
| Licence Type | Demerit Points Limit |
| Learner licence | 4 points |
| Provisional P1 licence | 4 points |
| Provisional P2 licence | 7 points |
| Unrestricted licence | 13 points |
| Professional drivers | 14 points |
| Unrestricted licence [with a good behaviour period] | 2 points within the term of the good behaviour period |
If, within a 3-year period, you either reach the limit or go beyond the limit for your specific license type, your licence can either be suspended or not renewed. You will receive a Notice of Suspension or Refusal. Your 3-year period is calculated between the dates of commission of the first and the last offence.
How to Avoid Suspension of Traffic License?
The best way to avoid a driver’s license suspension is to obey traffic rules. However, in case you commit a traffic offence, you will receive a penalty notice, telling what the offence is, the demerit points incurred and the penalty for the offence. You may pay up the fine and close the matter then and there. You can also elect to take the matter to court.
If you wish to take the matter to court, you should not pay the fine and should make your election before the pay-up date of your penalty is due. However, you can still elect to take the matter to court even if you have paid the fine in full or partially, within 90 days from when the penalty notice was issued.
Charge Dismissed
When dealing with the penalty notice in court you may receive a dismissal of the charge. Charge- dismissed means that you accept responsibility for the offence and admit that you are guilty but due to your good record, you are granted leniency from the court. If the charge is dismissed you will not accumulate the demerit points for the offence and your licence will not be suspended.
Opting for a Good Behaviour Period
Full-licensed drivers who have received a notice of suspension due to excessive demerit points may opt for a 12- month good behaviour period.
If a driver has his licence suspended for a long period by the court, some options are now available to him for applying for a lifting of the suspension.
Irrespective of the traffic offence or the traffic-related matter involved, drivers who run the risk of having their license suspended should engage the services of reputed legal firms like Astor Legal. The traffic lawyers at Astor Legal are experienced in handling several traffic offence cases successfully and can help you minimise the penalty imposed and rein in the inconvenience of license suspended.