Self-reported response to a licensing point system

An online survey of New Zealand car license holders was conducted to advance understanding of how individuals respond to licensing points. Results suggest that there are that the majority of drivers aim to drive in a manner that avoids demerit points. The smaller group of drivers who drive more carefully when they have a few points, are perhaps the primary target of licensing point systems, and may be responsive to system refinements such as increasing the number of points that apply to particular offenses and increasing the points lifetime). A small minority of drivers report that they are not influenced by demerit points, at least in part because they are prepared to drive with a suspended license.