Brake, the road safety charity, has issued a statement following news of the recent passing of Dr. Will Murray.
Research Director of eDriving FLEET, Will was an expert in commercial road risk management, a visiting fellow at universities in the UK and Australia and founding member and trustee of Brake.
Mary Williams, OBE, 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.
“Will never sought personal reward or recognition: his motivation was always to make a difference”
“On a personal level, I was honoured to count Will as a long-standing and fantastic friend and someone I will miss terribly. He was by my side at many of my lowest and highest moments, to rally and to celebrate, to make me smile. He will remain in my head forever, always supporting me, yet always academically confronting me: ‘How can we save more lives, Mary? What are your thoughts? What’s next?’ There can be no doubt that Will’s contributions through academia, industry and Brake saved many lives, through evidence-based, practical measures.
“We will never hear about the child whose life was saved when a truck did not reverse into them. But thanks to Will’s straightforward recommendations that child, and many more, are out there. On behalf of them, and in recognition of the wonderful man he was, Brake honours Will’s memory.
“His death is a terrible loss to us all and our thoughts are particularly with his family.”
