The Demerit Point System

The demerit point system

• Encourages drivers to improve behaviour

• Protects people from dangerous driving behaviour

• Demerit points stay on record for 2 years

• Too many points → suspended license

Demerit-point system for new drivers (Level One and Level Two)

• 2+ points → warning letter

• 6 points → 2nd warning letter encouraging improvement of behaviour

• 9+ points → license suspended for 60 days (refusal could mean losing license for 2 years), then reduction of points to 4. If 9 points reached again, license suspended for 6 months

Demerit-point system for fully licensed drivers

• 6 points → warning letter

• 9 points → 2nd warning letter

• 15 points → license suspended for 30 days (refusal could mean losing it for 2 years), then reduction of points to 7. If 15 points reached again, license suspended for 6 months

7 Point Offences

• Failing to remain at the scene of a collision

• Failing to stop for police

6 Point Offences

• Careless driving

• Racing

• Exceeding the speed limit by 40 km/h or more on roads with a speed limit of less than 80 km/h

• Exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/h or more

• Failing to stop for a school bus

5 Point Offence

Driver of bus failing to stop at unprotected railway crossing

4 Point Offences

• Exceeding the speed limit by 30 to 49 km/h

• Following too closely

• Failing to stop at a pedestrian crossover

3 Point Offences (Don’ts of Driving)

• Exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 29 km/h

• Driving through, around, or under a railway crossing barrier

• Driving while holding or using a hand-held wireless communications/entertainment device or viewing a display screen unrelated to the driving task

• Driving the wrong way on a divided road

• Crowding the driver’s seat

• Going the wrong way on a one-way road

• Driving or operating a vehicle on a closed road

• Crossing a divided road where no proper crossing is provided

• Driving a vehicle equipped with a radar detector

3 Point Offence (Failures when Driving)

• Failing to yield the right-of-way

• Failing to obey a stop sign, traffic light or railway crossing signal

• Failing to obey traffic control stop sign

• Failing to obey traffic control slow sign

• Failing to obey school crossing stop sign

• Failing to obey the directions of a police officer

• Failing to report a collision to a police officer

• Failing to slow and carefully pass a stopped emergency vehicle

• Failing to move, where possible, into another lane when passing a stopped emergency vehicle

3 Point Offence (Impropers)

• Improper driving where road is divided into lanes

• Improper use of a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane

• Improper opening of a vehicle door

2 Point Offences (Impropers and Bad Behaviour)

• Prohibited turns

• Towing people - on toboggans, bicycles, skis, for example

• Improper right turn

• Improper left turn

• Unnecessary slow driving

• Reversing on a highway

2 Point Offences (Failures when Driving)

• Failing to lower headlight beam

• Failing to obey signs

• Failing to share the road

• Failing to signal

• Driver failing to wear a seatbelt

• Driver failing to ensure infant passenger is secured

• Driver failing to ensure toddler passenger is secured

• Driver failing to ensure child is secured

• Driver failing to ensure passenger under 16 years is wearing seatbelt

• Driver failing to ensure that a passenger under 16 years is sitting in a seat that has a seatbelt