Transport Accident Commission

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, Australia. It was established under the Transport Accident Act 1986.

Its purpose is to fund treatment and support services for people injured in transport accidents. The TAC's support 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.

The TAC also has a duty to help reduce accidents on Victorian roads. It is responsible for the majority of road safety advertising in the state.

In 1973, the Parliament of Victoria passed the Motor Accidents Act, which established the Motor Accidents Board to pay compensation to people injured in motor vehicle accidents. The Act granted a form of no-fault insurance to Victorian residents in certain circumstances, but victims retained their common law right to sue other drivers for fault or negligence, and the Board was prevented from providing compensation in some situations, such as where the victim's blood alcohol content at the time of the accident was above 0.05%.

Over the following decade, the compensation scheme was heavily criticised from two main perspectives: first, that the retention of common law rights discriminated between victims who could prove fault and those who could not; and second, that the scheme was financially unviable in the long term. In 1986, the Labor government under Premier John Cain proposed legislation that would re-establish the compensation scheme and completely eliminate the right of individuals to sue for damages in motor vehicle accidents. However, due to widespread political and public opposition, a compromise solution was arranged, whereby the no-fault compensation scheme would be radically expanded, but the most seriously injured victims would retain a right to damages. This solution was enshrined in law by the Transport Accident Act 1986, which established the Transport Accident Commission and became effective on 1 January 1987.

The TAC is known for its powerful road safety public education campaigns which emphasize the personal costs of dangerous driving practices (such as speeding and drunk 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:

For its part, the TAC funds television and billboards coupled with high-impact advertising.