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Posted: 2024-05-19 05:24:01

More than 1.2 million drivers across New South Wales have had a demerit point wiped off their record as a reward for 12-months of good behaviour.

The Central Coast Local Government Area (LGA) was the single biggest beneficiary of the state government program, with 54,971 residents getting a point back.

Drivers from Sydney's west, who are typically more car-reliant, featured in five of the top 10 LGA's — meaning 290,287 demerit points were scrapped from people living in Blacktown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Liverpool and Parramatta LGA's.

Roads Minister John Graham said it was an encouraging result.

"They have also been the place we've seen the biggest lift in safety. And as a result, more people have had their demerit points wiped in those suburbs," Mr Graham said.

the new south wales roads minister wears a suit while standing in a park to speak to the media

Roads Minister John Graham says the return scheme keeps the community safer.  (ABC News)

To qualify, licence holders had to be infringement-free from January 2023 to January 2024 to get one-demerit point expunged— a process that can take three years.

The program was an election promise of the Minns government designed to place a sharper focus on road safety amid last year's record-breaking road death toll.

"This is a big community call out to people to drive safely... 1.2 million drivers responded to that call and kept a spotless record for 12 months," Mr Graham said.

"That's good news for them. But it keeps all of us safer."

He said extending the program for another year should bring relief to professional drivers who may have missed out.

"If they lose their license, they can often lose their job. So, this has been a particularly important trial for taxi and delivery drivers."

On the Central Coast, some locals said the scheme sends the wrong message.

"I think people shouldn't get their points back because they should learn their lesson," Gosford man Bill Sharp said.

"If they're speeding on the road that's their fault… they shouldn't be getting them back."

a man wearing glasses sits inside a car while being interviewed by an abc journalist

Truck driver John says drivers should stick to the speed limit.(ABC News)

Another man, a truck driver named John, said the policy encouraged people to get away with speeding.

"Just stick to the law, don't speed," he said.

"I think they should pay the price and learn from it."

In the Canterbury-Bankstown area, 49,258 drivers qualified for the program, with 46,529 in the Northern Beaches, 36,460 in Sutherland and 33,815 in Lake Macquarie. 

A combined 1,400 drivers be will rewarded in Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina and Broken Hill.

The demerit point has started to flow back to drivers since early April. 

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