Transport Accident Commission
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) is the statutory insurer of third-party personal liability (CTP insurance in other states) for road accidents in the State of Victoria. It was established under the Transport Accident Act 1986.[1]
Its purpose is to fund treatment and support services for people injured in transport accidents. The TAC's suppport covers medical and non-medical expenses incurred as a result of an accident, for example income support for people whose injuries prevent them from performing normal job duties, or return to work programs, and equipment or aids, such as wheelchairs or crutches that are recommended by a healthcare professional. 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.[2]
The TAC also has a duty to help reduce accidents on Victorian roads. It works with Victoria Police and VicRoads to promote Victorian road safety.[3]
In 2006, the Victorian Government announced that the TAC Headquarters would move to Geelong.[4]
[edit] Public Education Campaigns
The TAC is known for its powerful road safety public education campaigns which emphasise the personal costs of dangerous driving practices (such as speeding and drink driving) using emotive, educational and enforcement based themes.
In 1989 the increasing cost of accidents caused VicRoads and the TAC to adopt a new approach including:
- a significant boost to enforcement resources targeting speeding campaigns to sign-post change and help set the public agenda
- a sustained and community-based road safety bodies, and
- an emphasis on evaluating their effectiveness
For its part, the TAC funds television and billboards coupled with high-impact advertising.
The TAC's most well known slogan, if you drink, then drive, you're a bloody idiot, has changed over time to "only a little bit over, you bloody idiot" to reflect the danger of low level drink-driving.
Other well known slogans include wipe off 5 , targeting careless or habitual low-level speeders.
Its recent safety campaign drew attention to two life-saving in-car technologies - Electronic Stability Control and side, head protecting, curtain airbags. The aim of this campaign was to encourage car buyers to ask for these important safety features when purchasing their next car (for more information see www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au). The Victorian Government has mandated this as a future design requirment.
[edit] Australian Football League Partnerships
The TAC has community partnerships to help ensure road safety messages reach audiences at a grass-roots level. One of these community partnerships was with the Collingwood Football Club.
Another key program is through support for the under 18 TAC Cup football competition to promote learner driver safety through this channel.
