12Demerit points

12 Demerit points

Recording of demerit points (1) Demerit points incurred by a person for an offence are to be recorded in the demerit points register in respect of the day on which the offence was committed. Licence suspension for demerit points (2) The driver licensing authority must give a notice of licence suspension to the holder of a driver licence who incurs 12 or more demerit points within the previous 3 years. (3) The period of licence suspension under subprinciple (2) is the period applicable under the table.

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse"><thead><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1.5pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableHeading"><span>Licence suspension for demerit points</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:11.12%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableHeading"><span>Item</span></p></td><td style="width:47.2%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableHeading"><span>Number of demerit points incurred within previous 3 years</span></p></td><td style="width:41.68%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="TableHeading"><span>Period of licence suspension</span></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="width:11.12%; border-top:1.5pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>1</span></p></td><td style="width:47.2%; border-top:1.5pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>12 to 15</span></p></td><td style="width:41.68%; border-top:1.5pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>3 months</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:11.12%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>2</span></p></td><td style="width:47.2%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>16 to 19</span></p></td><td style="width:41.68%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>4 months</span></p></td></tr><tr><td style="width:11.12%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>3</span></p></td><td style="width:47.2%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>20 or more</span></p></td><td style="width:41.68%; border-top:0.75pt solid #000000; border-bottom:1.5pt solid #000000; padding-right:5.4pt; padding-left:5.4pt; vertical-align:top"><p class="Tabletext"><span>5 months</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table>

(4) If a person who has been served with a notice of licence suspension does not make an election under subprinciple (6), the person’s driver licence is suspended for the period applicable under subprinciple (3) from the date specified in the notice. (5) On the commencement of a period of suspension or a period of good behaviour (see subprinciple (6)), all demerit points recorded in the demerit points register against the person at the date of the notice are taken to be deleted. Alternative to suspension (6) A person who incurs at least 12 demerit points within the previous 3 years may, within 21 days after being served with a notice of licence suspension by the driver licensing authority, notify the authority in writing that he or she elects, as an alternative to undergoing the suspension, to be of good behaviour for a period of 12 months from the day on which the licence would have been suspended. (7) If a person who makes an election in accordance with subprinciple (6) incurs 2 or more demerit points during the 12 months period, the driver licensing authority must give the person a notice suspending the person’s driver licence, commencing on a day specified in the notice, for twice the period that would have applied to the person under subprinciple (3) if the person had not made the election. (8) On the commencement of the period of suspension referred to in subprinciple (7), all demerit points recorded in the demerit points register against the person at the date of the notice are taken to be deleted. (9) However, demerit points incurred by a person: (a) after the person is served with a notice of licence suspension but before the suspension begins; or (b) if the person makes an election in accordance with subprinciple (6)—after the person is served with the notice of licence suspension and before the 12 month period of good behaviour; are to be taken into account for the purposes of subprinciple (2) from the end of the period of licence suspension or period of good behaviour.