Demerit points remaining after licence suspensions - how it works

[jrandom]

I've encountered some confusion on this subject, recently, so I thought I'd clarify this question once and for all for anyone who's interested.

I'm about to hand over my licence for three months after going over 100 points.

I received two new speeding tickets last weekend, and I wasn't sure whether paying them straight away would help anything. Naturally, I don't trust anything you bush-lawyer c00nts on the internet say, so I just rang LTNZ for a quick chat about how it all works.

The way the system goes is:

All demerit points recorded against your licence at the time it is taken from you are wiped when your licence is returned.

So, as recommended by the nice lady on the phone, I'll be paying both of those tickets this week before I hand over my licence to the licence collector man, and I'll have a zero-point licence back in my hands in October. If I paid the tickets after my licence was collected, the demerit points would be waiting for me when I got it back.

Good to know.

[bungbung]

As I understand, the points are recorded against your licence at the time of infringement (near enough). You cannot vary the date the points are applied by paying sooner or delaying payment.

[pritch]

I received two new speeding tickets last weekend,

Ummmmm have you considered obtaining a radar detector?

But condolences on the loss of licence meantime.

[Mikkel]

What happens if you get done for 41+ km/h above the limit while you are waiting for your license to be taken off your hands?

What if it's a 41+ km/h offense that will see you go above 100 demerits?

But yes, if you have exceeded 100 demerits and are waiting for your license to be taken off you, you have no excuse to observe the speed limits...

[jrandom]

You cannot vary the date the points are applied by paying sooner or delaying payment.

That is not strictly correct.

What you cannot vary is whether or not you receive a licence suspension for going over 100 points. Delaying payment of the tickets in such a situation only delays an inevitable back-dated check. If you commit more than 100 points worth of traffic offenses within two years, you will always get a licence suspension, end of story.

However, what I've described above in relation to what happens after a licence suspension does in fact constitute an exception to the apparent sensibleness of the system.

I triple-checked all this with the lady from LTNZ on the phone.

As you are no doubt aware, the points are recorded in the system when you pay the ticket, or after two months from the date of offense when the ticket is transferred to the courts for collection, whichever comes first.

Any points already recorded in the system against your licence when it's taken off you are wiped when it is returned. This is the one part of the system that works off the date the points are entered in the system rather than the date of the offense.

[jrandom]

What happens if you get done for 41+ km/h above the limit while you are waiting for your license to be taken off your hands?

What if it's a 41+ km/h offense that will see you go above 100 demerits?

Who knows. Probably a big mess. Fortunately I'm not dealing with anything involving a roadside licence suspension.

... if you have exceeded 100 demerits and are waiting for your license to be taken off you, you have no excuse to observe the speed limits.

Yes.

So long as you are still holding your licence and you stay within 40kph of the speed limit to avoid a roadside licence suspension, and so long as you pay any tickets you receive during that period before your licence is eventually taken off you, that is correct.

[MSTRS:Me]

As I understand, the points are recorded against your licence at the time of infringement (near enough). You cannot vary the date the points are applied by paying sooner or delaying payment.

Ah - no. Points are recorded when you pay the fine.
Until then, you are assumed to be innocent and the offence is alleged. Payment confirms guilt. Or you take it to court. If dismissed, the points are gone. Otherwise...
However, I did think that the oldest demerits totalling +100ish were dropped off with a 3 month, but anything over that remained in force?

[jrandom]

Ummmmm have you considered obtaining a radar detector?

Yes.

Betty will have a Beltronics STi on her when my licence is returned.

[jrandom]

I did think that the oldest demerits totalling +100ish were dropped off with a 3 month, but anything over that remained in force?

And that common misconception is why I posted this thread - LTNZ has just confirmed that you thought wrong.

So long as all outstanding tickets are paid up and recorded in the system by the time your licence is taken off you, you get it back with zero demerit points.

[Mikkel]

What you cannot vary is whether or not you receive a licence suspension for going over 100 points. Delaying payment of the tickets in such a situation only delays an inevitable back-dated check. If you commit more than 100 points worth of traffic offenses within two years, you will always get a licence suspension, end of story.

...

As you are no doubt aware, the points are recorded in the system when you pay the ticket, or after two months from the date of offense when the ticket is transferred to the courts for collection, whichever comes first.

Any points already recorded in the system against your licence when it's taken off you are wiped when it is returned. This is the one part of the system that works off the date the points are entered in the system rather than the date of the offense.

I had got the impression that this loophole had been patched recently to avoid people stalling the procedure and thus avoiding getting their license suspended.

I think that, now, the demerits are recorded as per the date on the ticket. I am however not 100% sure...

[jrandom]

I had got the impression that this loophole had been patched recently to avoid people stalling the procedure and thus avoiding getting their license suspended.

I think that, now, the demerits are recorded as per the date on the ticket. I am however not 100% sure...

The loophole that allowed people to avoid a suspension has been patched.

The 'loophole' that allows people to get their licence back with zero points on it even after incurring tickets beyond the first 100 points has not been patched.

Is that even a 'loophole', per se? It makes good sense to me; once someone exceeds a certain threshhold, set the system in motion, give him a three-month walking holiday to cool down and then let him back out onto the road with a clean slate.

Anyway, I queried the LTNZ lady in precisely these terms and she confirmed that this is indeed the case.

Right.

Is that clear?

If anyone else skim-reads this thread and adds another 'But I thought...' post, I swear I will track them down and give them the atomic wedgie from hell.

[Mikkel]

If anyone else skim-reads this thread and adds another 'But I thought...' post, I swear I will track them down and give them the atomic wedgie from hell.

But I thought you were such a friendly guy.

(See you in Chch - I'll buy the first round...)

[Swoop]

That is surprisingly good news. Very good news on your part!

The only concern is the office efficiency that makes sure your payment is registered, so the associated demerits are able to be wiped.

[vifferman]

Weren't "they" (i.e., the Goobermint) talking about amending things so that the points thing was date-related? That is, in your case, Mr jrandom, Sir, you would have got to keep the bonus points. Lucky for you (and great for everyone except the gnarsty bureaucrats) that that isn't the case then.

So... are you going to apply for a limited licence?

[jrandom]

The only concern is the office efficiency...

Indeed.

I shall be paying the tickets post-haste, and then getting on the phone daily until I can confirm that the points have indeed been fed to The Computer.

I shall then hand in my licence.

Y'know, at times like this, one might consider oneself fortunate to have recently moved house and to be quite absent-minded when it comes to such things as updating one's contact details.



Edit: Re. the limited licence, yes, I'll be getting one to cover picking my kids up from their mother on the weekends and ferrying them around. I don't anticipate any hassles with that. I shall contact the Police Prosecutor shortly to grease the necessary wheels.