One of Australia's most respected road safety educators, he was also a well-known press and broadcast motoring journalist. His passion for improved driver training techniques and attitudes began while working at the Ballarat Courier newspaper in 1968, where his "beat" included covering road crashes. His concern led him to form Jim Murcott's Advanced Driving Centre in the late 1960s and to become one of Australia's most proficient road safety consultants. Many of the courses he designed have gone on to become the benchmark for driver training - including the Level One Defensive Driving Course for every-day driving, Fleet Safety Courses, 4WD courses, Executive Protection courses and High Performance courses for motorsport training.

Jim Murcott's Advanced Driving Centre was chosen by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) to conduct the driver training for the celebrity race at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Adelaide, from 1985 until 1990. His career also included terms with the Ford's public affairs department and working as a journalist with Australian United Press (AUP) and on the The Age in Melbourne. In private life Murcott competed in motor racing events in a Lotus Super 7 and had a small collection of cars.