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.

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.

A recent safety campaign drew attention to life-saving in-car technologies, such as Electronic Stability Control and curtain airbags.

In 2016, the TAC commissioned the lifelike figure depicting what a human would look like if the species evolved to survive car crashes known as Project Graham.

The TAC has had partnerships with the Australian Football League and its teams to help road safety messages reach audiences at a grass-roots level.