We are deeply saddened by news of the death of a long time PACTS Trustee, Director and Special Advisor, Professor Richard Allsop OBE DSc FREng.
Richard was outstanding in the world of road safety both in his pioneering work and support of others in the field. At PACTS he served as a Trustee and Director for 20 years and then as a Special Advisor for nearly ten. Most recently he sat on the Policy and Research Committee and in PACTS Road Environment Working Party as well as representing PACTS at the European Transport Safety Council.
Born in 1940 and educated at Bemrose School Derby, Richard went on to study at Queen’s College Cambridge, where he read Mathematics. He obtained his PhD (Applicable Mathematics) from UCL in 1970 and DSc (Eng) in 1995. There he was involved with the UN Association, the Refugees Action Group and War on Want.
From 1973 to 1976 he was Director of The Transport Operations Research Group at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, before becoming Director of the Centre for Transport Studies at UCL, a post which he held for some 20 years. Richard was a leader of the University Transport Studies Group and helped to develop a symbiotic relationship between the Group and the Department for Transport.
In 1995, Richard became Director of PACTS, a position he held until 2015. Upon his retirement, PACTS decided that he was too valuable to lose and should be given the title of Special Advisor to PACTS, in order to retain his knowledge and connection to our organisation. A founding member of the RoadSafe Advisory Panel, from 2005 Richard also held the title of Emeritus Professor of Transport Studies at UCL. He was also a judge for the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards for 25 years.
Throughout his time in PACTS and at UCL, he built a formidable reputation in the transport safety field through timely and meticulous research in areas such as drink-driving, seat belts, signal controlled junctions, risk and choice on roads, the safe system and the impact of the economic recession on traffic fatalities. His ability to provide thorough, evidence-rich advice on a wide variety of topics was invaluable. As an academic he was highly regarded: “outstanding” was the view held by many; a powerful influence on policy development and the understanding of road safety.
His enduring presence as a key figure within PACTS for numerous years has help shape and inform the organisation we are. His support and advice will be sorely missed.
Professor Richard Allsop OBE receives Kometani-Sasaki Award for contribution
Tributes to Professor Richard Allsop
“Richard’s passing is terribly sad news for all of us who knew him, and for PACTS as a whole. Not only was he a tremendous advocate for PACTS and the world of road safety, but he was a very generous and welcoming man who was always ready to help out whenever he could. I for one benefited greatly from his wise advice and friendly support on many occasions. Richard will be sorely missed by us all.”
Tony Ciaburro, Chair, PACTS
“We will miss not only Richard’s enormous intellectual capabilities, but also his capacity for kindness. He was patient in helping those of us who were relatively new to the sector and unstintingly generous with his knowledge. I spent some time over Christmas listening to the CIHT podcast on ‘the history of road safety’ that he recorded at the end of last year – the interviewer barely asked four questions in half an hour, such was the depth and detail of his answers. For those of us that knew him, it’s a lovely way to remember him.”
Dan Campsall, Vice-Chair, PACTS
“Beyond his many achievements, recognised by an OBE and his Emeritus Professorship, he possessed many personal qualities which made him much more influential than a dry account of his academic and policy work might suggest. He was passionate about road safety: can there have been a more committed person in Britain on this? But he was also ready to help newcomers and the inexperienced with his kindness and wise counsel, going way beyond the normal courtesies He may be summed up as an outstanding example of that rare commodity: a true gentleman. It was a privilege to have met him and known him as a friend. A number of people alive today owe their lives to Richard’s quiet persistence and rigorous determination to saving lives.”
John Plowman, PACTS Trustee
“He was indeed a true gentleman and outstanding academic who played a leading role in research and policy, and especially helping to steer and shape PACTS over so many years.”
Julian Hill, PACTS Trustee
“I had the great privilege and honour to serve on the the board with Richard for many years. He was not only a well respected expert in the field but also a passionate advocate and someone you could always go to for help, support and advice.”
Jon Crockett, PACTS Trustee
“He was a committed researcher He did not believe that research was a goal in itself. It should always be put to the cause of developing policy. Hence his commitment to reducing the drink-drive limit, to tackling speeding and to the use of motorcycle helmets. He was the kind of scholar you always want to work with.”
Robert Gifford, former Executive Director at PACTS
“I will greatly miss Richard’s wisdom, humanity and kindness. The transport safety family will be poorer without his original research, encyclopaedia knowledge, and frankly his passion to make a difference, he excelled at making sure research findings were known, understood and adopted.”
Richard Cuerden, Chair of PACTS Working Party
“My earliest memory of working with Richard was on a project I was leading on young drivers in 2013. He was on an advisory panel that helped steer the work, and he was always a fantastic help to me, at this early point in my TRL career. I remember one thing specifically, about the way in which Richard was viewed by others. One of the senior staff at TRL at the time (Graham Grayson), on hearing that Richard was one of four extremely respected advisors helping to steer the work, simply said to me “Shaun, if you ever find yourself uncertain about what to do on the project, and if your advisory panel is offering multiple options, just go with what Richard says – that will probably be the best way forward!””
Dr Shaun Helman, TRL
“I was so sorry to hear the news about Richard Allsop. When I was appointed as TRL Academy director, one of my first acts was to introduce a ‘TRL Academy Award’ for outstanding contribution to transport research as a feature at the annual TRL Academy symposium. Choosing Richard as its first recipient was an easy decision. He graciously attended the ceremony in 2015 and gave a powerful acceptance speech on the impact of his research over the years. He was tremendously kind to me thereafter and always a willing sounding board for ideas on the analysis of road safety data. He shall be greatly missed. My condolences to his family and friends.”
Dr Nick Reed, Reed Mobility
“I am deeply saddened by the news of Richard’s death. Although we were not closely acquainted, I was always impressed by the cogency and clarity of his speeches and articles, and by his approachability. His unfailing courtesy and personal modesty were enduring traits, and the world of transport safety has lost an outstanding champion.”
John Cartledge, Member of PACTS Rail Safety Working Party
Read more here:
Richard Allsop obituary | Road safety | The Guardian
Richard Allsop: Transport professor whose influence extended (transportxtra.com)
