Transport Accident Commission

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Transport Accident Commission Logo

The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) is the statutory insurer of third-party personal liability for road accidents in the State of Victoria. It was established under the Transport Accident Act 1986.

Its purpose is to pay "reasonable" benefits to anyone injured in a road accident, whether or not they are at fault.  Benefit payments are designed to cover both medical and non-medical expenses incurred as a result of an accident.  Funding used by the TAC to perform these functions comes from compulsory payments made by Victorian motorists when they register their vehicles each year with VicRoads.[1]

It has a duty to reduce accidents on Victorian roads, and works with Victoria Police and VicRoads to promote Victorian road safety.[2]

In 2006, the TAC was the subject of controversy due to the government's promise to relocate its head office from Melbourne to Geelong. This was seen by many to be an employment based election promise for the regional city put forward by premier Steve Bracks, but generated publicity when many of the workers refused to move.

[edit] Advertising Campaigns

The TAC is particularly known for their often violent or shocking television advertisements, emphasising the personal costs of dangerous driving practices (such as speeding and drink driving) with graphic details of road accidents and consequent deaths and injuries.

In 1989 the growing road toll and cost of accidents were causing widespread community concern. To address the problem of lives being lost and serious injuries on Victoria's roads, Victoria Police, VicRoads and the TAC adopted a concerted, integrated approach to accident prevention.

The approach included:

a significant boost to enforcement resources targeting speeding and drink-driving
high profile, hard hitting mass media campaigns to sign-post change and help set the public agenda
a sustained focus on key issues such as drink-driving, speeding, fatigue and young drivers
close co-ordination of enforcement and publicity efforts
public education programs directly supporting police enforcement efforts
co-ordination of various state and community-based road safety bodies, and
an emphasis on research in developing initiatives and evaluating their effectiveness

This integrated approach has been accompanied by a near halving of Victoria's road toll since 1989, with a corresponding drop in serious injuries of 32%.

For its part, the TAC adopted a more aggressive approach to public education by addressing the key causes of road accidents - the attitudes and behaviours of road users. The campaign includes bumper stickers with slogans such as "If you drink and drive, you're a bloody idiot," and "Don't fool yourself - speed kills." The public response to these ads is generally quite positive.

[edit] Australian Football League Sponsorship

TAC's newest promotional slogan

The TAC has been a major sponsor over the years of the Richmond Football Club, until they recently withdrew their sponsorship due to a drink-driving incident involving Tigers player Jay Schulz. In the past they have also provided sponsorship to the Essendon Football Club and the Collingwood Football Club to a lesser extent. They are still involved in sponsoring Australian rules football, with the under-18 competition the TAC Cup having a long naming-rights association with the commission.