Eric Richardson, New York City’s former Deputy Chief Fleet Officer

In this episode of My Role in the Safe System, we’re joined by Eric Richardson – one of the most influential voices in global fleet and urban road safety. As New York City’s former Deputy Chief Fleet Officer, Eric helped push Vision Zero from slogan to reality, rolling out safer vehicles, telematics and sideguards across one of the world’s busiest city fleets. Now Road Safety Advisor to Together for Safer Roads and Strategic Mobility Advisor at Windels Marx, he explains how big fleets, smart data and public–private partnerships can slash risk on busy urban networks. We explore why boards need to treat road safety as a core business performance issue, not just a compliance tick‑box, and what it really takes to build a “zero harm” safety culture. Eric shares powerful examples from major operators like PepsiCo and UPS, shows how smaller fleets can tap into TSR’s tools and support, and reflects on what New York’s Vision Zero journey can teach cities worldwide. We also look ahead at AI-enabled safety tech, intelligent speed assistance and the Safe System ingredients that give him real optimism for the next decade.