One area that people don’t often think about when their license is about to be suspended for incurring too many demerit points is whether they are entitled to an extra point.
In New South Wales, a full license holder has a limit of 13 demerit points that they can accumulate before their license is suspended. However, if you are a person who is a professional driver then your limit is in fact 14 points. In order to qualify as a professional driver you must:
- Be a motor vehicle driver that transports goods or is an accredited bus, taxi or hire car driver; and
- Be paid for the driving work; and
- Drive more than 20 hours per week; and
- Have been a professional driver at the time of your last offence and on the date the Notice of Suspension was given.
If you satisfy these criteria then you simply have to notify Roads & Maritime Services that you are a professional driver and the suspension of your license will be withdrawn. It is also important to note that the additional point granted to a professional driver is a separate issue to a Good Behaviour Licence that is sometimes available to drivers.
If you would like to know whether any of these issues apply to you our friendly team at Caldwell Martin Cox are more than happy to discuss them with you.