After his education as a civil engineer Fred joined the City of Amsterdam as a transportation engineer. After that he started his career at the SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research. Initially as a researcher, research manager, research director and the last fourteen years as a managing director. He combined that position with a full professor and chair Traffic Safety at Delft University of Technology. He is emeritus professor since 2014.
Fred is one of the founders of the Safe System approach in road safety. Fred served in many activities of international organizations: European Commission, European Transport Safety Council, FIA, FIA Foundation, OECD/International Transport Forum (still acting as chairman of the International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group), Transportation Research Board in the US, World Bank/GRSF, World Health Organization, World Road Congress/PIARC. He worked in road safety and carried out training programmes in more than 25 countries worldwide. Fred is one of the founders of Delft Road Safety Courses. He was awarded a Royal Order by the King of the Netherlands: Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau.