First rule: don’t ignore the referee. “Matt Reis Carlos Ruiz yellow card” by Jason Gulledge. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Demerit points are recorded against your licence (for the purpose of whether or not your license should be suspended) for a period of 3 (three) years. In the case of an unrestricted drivers license you can accumulate 12 points before your licence is suspended.

In the event your licence is suspended because of accumulated demerit points you should (naturally) immediately stop driving and contact your lawyer. You may have grounds for challenging the suspension.