Demerit Points, Bluetooth and Your Phone: What the New Rules Actually Say

Since stricter penalties for distracted driving came into force, social media has been flooded with confusion. Can you still use Bluetooth? Will Google Maps get you fined? How many points before you lose your licence? Much of what is circulating online is simply wrong.

Thankfully, some clarity has arrived. SL News recently sat down with road safety expert M. Barlen Munusami, who addressed the questions Mauritians have been asking and cleared up several grey areas around the new National Demerit Point System. Here is what you actually need to know.

How the Demerit Point System Works

The principle is straightforward. When you commit a traffic offence, you receive a fine and accrue demerit points on your licence. If you exceed your licence's point limit within a three-year period, your licence will be suspended or cancelled.

In other words, the system is cumulative. One offence will not end your driving days, but a pattern of offences will catch up with you. For a full breakdown of the Points System, click here.

Using a Handheld Phone: The Big One

This is where most drivers will feel the change. Holding your phone while driving, whether to call, text or scroll, now carries:

• A fine of Rs 3,000

• Between 5 and 10 demerit points

The number of points depends on how quickly you settle the matter. Pay the fixed penalty within 28 days and you receive the minimum of 5 points. Let it drag beyond 28 days and you face the maximum. There is a clear incentive to deal with it promptly.

Bluetooth Is Legal. Full Stop.

Despite what you may have read online, using your vehicle's inbuilt Bluetooth system is perfectly legal. No fine. No demerit points. If your call comes through your car's hands-free system, you are within the law. Hands-free means worry-free.

Inbuilt Screens: Navigation Yes, Netflix No

The rules around your car's central digital display come down to common sense:

• Using Google Maps or other navigation: no fine

• Watching movies or videos while driving: fine

The distinction is simple. A screen that helps you drive is fine. A screen that distracts you from driving is not.

If your car does not have a built-in system, you will need a phone holder. Mounting your phone on a holder lets you follow your maps without handling the device, which keeps you on the right side of the law. The moment the phone is in your hand, you are back in handheld territory and the penalties above apply.

What Happens When the Points Add Up

Two thresholds matter:

At 12 points, you have the option to pay for a rehabilitation course at an MITD Centre, which restores 3 points to your licence. Think of it as a formal warning with a way back.

At 15 points, your licence is disqualified for a period of 3 to 12 months, depending on the court sentence. No shortcuts, no course, no exceptions.

Drink Driving: The Penalties Are Severe

The new framework leaves little room for ambiguity on drink driving.

First offence:

• Fine of Rs 20,000

• Suspension of your licence for up to 12 months

• Mandatory rehabilitation course

Second offence:

• Fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000

• Cancellation of your licence

• Compulsory imprisonment

• You must apply for a new licence afterwards

A second offence does not just cost you money. It costs you your licence, your freedom and a fresh start through the entire licensing process.

The Bottom Line

The new system rewards drivers who follow the rules and gives repeat offenders nowhere to hide. The genuine question is not whether the penalties are tough enough, but whether enforcement on the ground will match the ambition on paper. Points only deter when drivers believe they will actually be caught.

What you can control is simple: keep the phone out of your hand, use your car's hands-free system, and treat your licence as the asset it is. After all, whether you are buying your next car or selling your current one through AutoCloud, a clean licence keeps you on the road and in the driver's seat.

Drive smart. The points system is counting, even if you are not.