JPJ demerit points system to be enforced from April 15

Rack up 100 points under the Road Transport Department's (JPJ) new demerit points system and you can kiss your driving licence goodbye.

Errant motorists will also be subjected to incremental penalties for every 20 points, ranging from a warning to having their licence suspended for varying periods.

JPJ director-general Datuk Seri Nadzri Siron said the Kejara system will be enforced from April 15 for two offences: speeding, and running a red light.

Running a red light will earn offenders four points for private vehicles, and six points for commercial vehicles such as buses and lorries.

"Buses and lorries pose a greater risk to the public and need to be held to a higher degree of responsibility," Nadzri added.

For speeding, the demerits range from two to four points for private vehicles, depending on how much the speed limit was exceeded by. For commercial vehicles, it ranges from four to six points.

The first 20 points accumulated would earn the offender a warning; the next 20 points, a six- to eight-month suspension of their driving licence; the third, an eight- to 10-month suspension; the fourth, a 10- to 12-month suspension; and the fifth, for a total of 100 points, would result in their licence being revoked.

Nadzri said a licence could also be revoked if the offender gets suspended from driving three times within five years.

Those on a learner's permit are on an even shorter leash; getting 20 points will result in the immediate revocation of their licence.

"The system is not to punish drivers, it's for their own safety. We want to take habitual offenders off the road and reduce traffic accidents," Nadzri said during a press briefing at JPJ headquarters here Thursday morning.

Kejara would be integrated with Automated Enforcement System (AES) cameras as part of the Automated Awareness Safety System (Awas), which was introduced on April 1.

Nadzri said the Kejara system had been implemented in many developed countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany and Singapore, and yielded significant results in improving compliance and reducing the number of road accidents and fatalities

He said the demerit points would be logged once offenders paid their compounds or were convicted in traffic court.

He added that those who did not pay on time or make their court dates would automatically be penalised.

"Those who get enough demerit points to warrant a warning, suspension or revocation will be given notice," he said.

Any suspension or revocation would take effect immediately after offenders hand in their licence at a JPJ office, or 21 days after the notice was issued.

Those who are convicted of further traffic offences while their licence is suspended or revoked can be fined between RM3,000 and RM10,000, or jailed a maximum of three years.

Those whose licences are revoked may reapply for one after a 12-month cooling-off period.

Nadzri said those who have fewer than 20 demerit points may attend a rehabilitation course and 50% of the demerit points will be removed after they pass the course.

"Those who do not commit a traffic offence for a one-year period from their last offence are also eligible to a 50% demerit point removal incentive," he said.