The fleet and road safety industry is mourning the loss of Dr Will Murray who passed away suddenly last weekend from an undiagnosed illness.

As well as being a pre-eminent international occupational road safety expert, Will was a devoted family man with his wife Marie and his sons, Sam and Joe, and was also a coach of youth soccer for 11 years.

Will was a renowned international occupational road safety expert, including through his role as research director of Interactive Driving Systems and subsequently eDriving Fleet, and was motivated by a relentless passion for helping clients measure and maximise the impact of their safety programme.

Ed Dubens, executive vice president of eDriving Fleet, said: “Our relationship with Will and his family extends over 20 exciting years. Some of you were fortunate to know Will this long as well. Yet even those of you who knew him only a short time or interacted with him briefly at a conference no doubt came away recognising the complex and compassionate genius he was. Everyone who came in contact with Will always enjoyed every minute they spent with him. His charisma and congeniality were unrivalled and his passion for our industry and saving lives was palpable in every conversation.”

Ed added that as a direct result of Will’s work, fleet managers could accurately predict a driver’s risk and the related likelihood of being involved in a collision – a breakthrough in fleet risk reduction that allowed fleet managers to proactively intervene with training and support to help prevent collisions ahead of time. To date, over a million drivers have benefited from his research.

Will was also a founding member and trustee of Brake.

Mary Williams, Brake chief executive, said: “The whole Brake team is deeply shocked and saddened at the untimely death of our dear friend and colleague Will. His legacy is far-reaching. He was instrumental in helping me establish Brake in 1995 and served with distinction continually, and entirely voluntarily, for the past 21 years as a trustee, proving to be a huge asset to the charity through his road safety expertise, his deserved and ever-increasing standing in the fleet safety industry, and his renowned generosity and kindness.

“Will served the charity in many ways, giving us significant time, always with academic rigour and constantly in pursuit of practical solutions. He was at the forefront of our strategic approach and delivery of information and advice to employers regarding road risk management; a key member of our team. But his support for Brake didn’t stop there. Just this summer, he cycled from London to Paris on behalf of the charity, raising valuable funds for our work supporting people bereaved and injured in road crashes.

“His death is a terrible loss to us all and our thoughts are particularly with his family.”

Details will be forthcoming regarding funeral arrangements for Will and opportunities to honour him and recognise his work.