Almost 20,000 drivers on overseas licences have converted to a NSW licence over the past 4 months, with some taken off the road altogether after running up enough demerit points to lose a licence almost 3 times over.
The Minns Labor government has welcomed the first tranche of foreign licence holders rolling over to a NSW licence but is determined to go further than the previous Coalition government, with all drivers on overseas licences in future to be directed to convert their licence.
Under the current regulation brought in by the Liberals, only drivers moving to NSW since 1 July 2023 must convert to a NSW licence.
This has led to 20,000 foreign licence surrenders since that date.
The regulation now allows for overseas drivers to be stripped of their driving privileges permanently if they accrue 13 demerit points or are convicted of certain speeding, drug and alcohol or serious driving offences.
In the past 4 months, drivers who have been hit with suspensions include:
- A driver who accumulated 37 demerit points since 2021 in 7 speeding offences and 3 mobile phone infringements was banned for 5 months and must apply for a NSW licence.
- A driver who had 33 demerit points and was still on the road after being caught speeding at 30 km/h-plus over the limit, as well as multiple other speeding and mobile phone offences, was banned for a minimum 8 months.
- A driver who had 29 demerit points from a combination of disobeying traffic lights, speeding and mobile phone offences has been able to pass a test to obtain a NSW licence and is currently under good behaviour conditions until September 2024.
In the first 10 months of 2023, there have been 5 fatal crashes involving a driver or rider with an overseas licence.
Minister for Roads John Graham said:
“It will be a relief for the nearly 7 million drivers in NSW on a state licence that we are seeing the beginning of a long overdue rollover of foreign licences. This will improve the overall standard of driving in NSW and therefore safety in general.
“It is frightening to say the least that some drivers on overseas licences have been able to chalk up demerit points almost with impunity.
“It is appropriate that people visiting the country are able to drive on our roads – just as Australians do when they travel overseas – but the Minns Labor government is determined to make sure that anyone residing in the state longer than 6 months is required to get a NSW licence. We will have more to say on this in future.
“Sadly, there has been a rise in the number of lives lost on our roads this year. The impact of road trauma lasts a lifetime, so we are doing everything we can to put a stop to this upward trend.”