Foreign drivers exploiting demerit points system sparks major crackdown by authorities
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A troubling new tactic involving demerit points has been uncovered, with foreign drivers exploiting the system. This has raised significant concerns, prompting the involvement of border force authorities to investigate the matter.
The situation highlights growing challenges in regulating road safety and enforcing driving laws for visitors to the country, leading to potential legal and security implications.
As this issue develops, it's essential for authorities to tighten controls and ensure the integrity of the system is maintained.
The Australian Border Force has joined forces with New South Wales road authorities in a significant crackdown on a cunning loophole exploitation that has seen foreign drivers falsely nominate others for their demerit points.
This shocking revelation has brought to light a practice that not only undermines the integrity of the demerit point system but also poses a serious threat to road safety.
In a startling discovery, officials have found that thousands of these nominees are individuals who have never even set foot on Australian soil.
This has raised serious concerns about the ease with which drivers can evade penalties and continue to flout road rules without consequence.
The issue has become so prevalent that the French consulate has stepped in to assist in curbing its citizens from using fraudulent documents to obtain a local license.
The Australian Border Force is now diligently checking records whenever an international license holder is nominated for a traffic offence.
This comes in the wake of findings that tens of thousands of people, nominated to bear the burden of traffic penalties over the past two years, had never visited Australia.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has confirmed that between May 2022 and January 2024, around 125,000 penalties carrying a whopping 256,000 demerit points were issued to motorists identified as international drivers by Revenue NSW.
Alarmingly, 40,000 of these individuals had never set foot in the country, leading to suspicions that their personal details may have been sourced from the dark web.
The scheme also involves individuals who hold international licenses but are, in fact, Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Some of these individuals possess a separate Australian license, which remains unaffected by the demerit points accrued on their foreign license.
In cases where a nominated driver is found to have been outside Australia at the time of the offence, TfNSW can now swiftly reassign the penalty back to the individual who attempted to dodge the fine and demerit points.
Earlier this year, an astonishing case surfaced where 2,102 demerit points had been accumulated by just 30 license holders, all supposedly residing at a single address.
On social media, French nationals have been found boasting about the dodgy trade, sharing tips on how to evade road rule penalties.
‘I’ve already been to court in Queensland, I got busted again in NSW, but I’m already on my way to South Australia,’ a translated post read.
Evidence of French nationals exploiting the demerit point system, with some accumulating over 1,000 points, led to the creation of the Demerit Point Taskforce.
The Demerit Point Taskforce, comprising officials from TfNSW, NSW Police, and Revenue NSW, was established in response to these abuses.
The task force has been instrumental in suspending more than 50 repeat offenders who have been racking up demerit points with reckless abandon.
The Taskforce discovered that the practice of nominating other drivers using international licenses was a significant vulnerability in the system.
The NSW government acknowledged this issue on Friday, December 13, emphasising the need for stricter measures to address it.
‘There are more than six million law-abiding licence holders in NSW and on their behalf, we are showing zero tolerance for this tiny minority who have sought to exploit the system that allows the honest nomination of another driver,’ NSW Minister for Roads John Graham stated.
‘Above all else, it is a threat to road safety to allow people to remain on the road who are notching up demerit points like confetti, avoiding paying fines, and in many cases leaving the country just as the system begins to catch up with them.’
‘I thank [the] Australian Border Force and the French Consulate for their assistance in tightening the net around this small clique of dedicated lawbreakers,’ he added.
The issue in the state has been ongoing, with multiple attempts over the past two years to curb the practice.
In March, it was announced that drivers with foreign licences would have a limited time to switch to an Australian one.
This move aims to close a legal ‘loophole’ that allowed overseas drivers to accumulate demerit points without losing their ability to drive.
‘Overseas licence holders, who reside in NSW for longer than a short visit, are required to convert to a NSW driver licence,’ a Transport for NSW (TfNSW) spokesperson said.
‘Temporary visa holders must convert to a NSW licence if they have resided continuously in NSW for six months or more and wish to continue driving.’
The March rule changes aimed to combat the sale of demerit points on social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, where foreign drivers could pay to take on points from Australian drivers.
This was part of a broader effort to shut down an online black market where demerit points were traded for cash.
In Sydney alone, numerous posts on Marketplace offer cash for taking on demerit points, exposing a wider issue of point exchange for money.
The growing issue of foreign drivers exploiting demerit point loopholes has prompted increased government action, but it also highlights a broader trend of dodgy driving tactics.
As authorities crack down on these practices, experts are warning of the serious legal and financial consequences for those involved.
Understanding the risks is crucial for anyone considering using dubious methods to manage their driving record, as these actions can lead to severe penalties down the road.
Have you or someone you know been affected by demerit point exploitation? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below, and let's discuss how we can collectively safeguard our road safety standards.
The situation highlights growing challenges in regulating road safety and enforcing driving laws for visitors to the country, leading to potential legal and security implications.
As this issue develops, it's essential for authorities to tighten controls and ensure the integrity of the system is maintained.
The Australian Border Force has joined forces with New South Wales road authorities in a significant crackdown on a cunning loophole exploitation that has seen foreign drivers falsely nominate others for their demerit points.
This shocking revelation has brought to light a practice that not only undermines the integrity of the demerit point system but also poses a serious threat to road safety.
The Australian Border Force is working with NSW authorities to target drivers who evade demerit points by falsely nominating others, often involving foreign individuals with no connection to Australia. Credit: Shutterstock
In a startling discovery, officials have found that thousands of these nominees are individuals who have never even set foot on Australian soil.
This has raised serious concerns about the ease with which drivers can evade penalties and continue to flout road rules without consequence.
The issue has become so prevalent that the French consulate has stepped in to assist in curbing its citizens from using fraudulent documents to obtain a local license.
The Australian Border Force is now diligently checking records whenever an international license holder is nominated for a traffic offence.
This comes in the wake of findings that tens of thousands of people, nominated to bear the burden of traffic penalties over the past two years, had never visited Australia.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has confirmed that between May 2022 and January 2024, around 125,000 penalties carrying a whopping 256,000 demerit points were issued to motorists identified as international drivers by Revenue NSW.
Alarmingly, 40,000 of these individuals had never set foot in the country, leading to suspicions that their personal details may have been sourced from the dark web.
The scheme also involves individuals who hold international licenses but are, in fact, Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Some of these individuals possess a separate Australian license, which remains unaffected by the demerit points accrued on their foreign license.
In cases where a nominated driver is found to have been outside Australia at the time of the offence, TfNSW can now swiftly reassign the penalty back to the individual who attempted to dodge the fine and demerit points.
Earlier this year, an astonishing case surfaced where 2,102 demerit points had been accumulated by just 30 license holders, all supposedly residing at a single address.
On social media, French nationals have been found boasting about the dodgy trade, sharing tips on how to evade road rule penalties.
‘I’ve already been to court in Queensland, I got busted again in NSW, but I’m already on my way to South Australia,’ a translated post read.
Evidence of French nationals exploiting the demerit point system, with some accumulating over 1,000 points, led to the creation of the Demerit Point Taskforce.
The Demerit Point Taskforce, comprising officials from TfNSW, NSW Police, and Revenue NSW, was established in response to these abuses.
The task force has been instrumental in suspending more than 50 repeat offenders who have been racking up demerit points with reckless abandon.
The Taskforce discovered that the practice of nominating other drivers using international licenses was a significant vulnerability in the system.
The NSW government acknowledged this issue on Friday, December 13, emphasising the need for stricter measures to address it.
‘There are more than six million law-abiding licence holders in NSW and on their behalf, we are showing zero tolerance for this tiny minority who have sought to exploit the system that allows the honest nomination of another driver,’ NSW Minister for Roads John Graham stated.
‘Above all else, it is a threat to road safety to allow people to remain on the road who are notching up demerit points like confetti, avoiding paying fines, and in many cases leaving the country just as the system begins to catch up with them.’
‘I thank [the] Australian Border Force and the French Consulate for their assistance in tightening the net around this small clique of dedicated lawbreakers,’ he added.
The issue in the state has been ongoing, with multiple attempts over the past two years to curb the practice.
In March, it was announced that drivers with foreign licences would have a limited time to switch to an Australian one.
This move aims to close a legal ‘loophole’ that allowed overseas drivers to accumulate demerit points without losing their ability to drive.
‘Overseas licence holders, who reside in NSW for longer than a short visit, are required to convert to a NSW driver licence,’ a Transport for NSW (TfNSW) spokesperson said.
‘Temporary visa holders must convert to a NSW licence if they have resided continuously in NSW for six months or more and wish to continue driving.’
The March rule changes aimed to combat the sale of demerit points on social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, where foreign drivers could pay to take on points from Australian drivers.
This was part of a broader effort to shut down an online black market where demerit points were traded for cash.
In Sydney alone, numerous posts on Marketplace offer cash for taking on demerit points, exposing a wider issue of point exchange for money.
The growing issue of foreign drivers exploiting demerit point loopholes has prompted increased government action, but it also highlights a broader trend of dodgy driving tactics.
As authorities crack down on these practices, experts are warning of the serious legal and financial consequences for those involved.
Understanding the risks is crucial for anyone considering using dubious methods to manage their driving record, as these actions can lead to severe penalties down the road.
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