FLEET telematics gets competitive with real-time prizes for the best driver behaviour as Lightfoot says its new reward-based initiative to improve driver efficiency and performance will be launched to business car drivers.

It’s a carrot instead of the stick for drivers whose in-car telematics records exceeding speed limits, harsh accelerating and braking and other bad habits that risk lives and crashes and raise running costs through high fuel consumption and excess wear and tear.

Based around competitive efficiency, where Elite drivers can win a host of prizes, including a new car, Lightfoot believes its radical new approach to improving driver behaviour will be a game-changer for the sector and it’s backing the launch announcement with an advertising campaign in service stations across the UK.

The campaign, which challenges car drivers to find their ‘Sweet Spot’, is designed to raise awareness of Lightfoot, its unique approach to improving driver performance and its ability to not only improve fuel efficiency, but cut C02 emissions, accident rates and engine wear and tear.

The launch of Lightfoot’s competitive concept to the company car and grey fleet sector follows on from a highly successful pilot programme involving 100 private motorists where competitions, weekly prizes and leagues were used to achieve a rapid and sustained improvement in driving performance.

Using Lightfoot’s established technology, widely adopted in the commercial fleet sector to change driver behaviour in real time, the pilot has achieved impressive results with 99% of all participants improving their fuel economy and average mpg gains in excess of 15%.

This has led to a swathe of direct enquiries from organisations keen to implement Lightfoot’s competitive and reward-based solution in the company car and grey fleet sector.

Mark Roberts, MD of Lightfoot, explained: “Launching Lightfoot to a consumer audience has required a totally different mindset to that of the fleet sector. Incentive has to be the driving force as private drivers don’t have fleet managers to bring them in to line.

“Through the development of a product that is built around competitive efficiency and rewards, we have created a new concept that has had stunning results, and is perfectly suited to the company car and grey fleet market.”

Unlike traditional telematics products, Lightfoot is completely focused on the driver and has been developed by an automotive engineering company that understands both drivers and engines.  Its visual and audio alerts guide the driver to a smoother, safer and more efficient style of driving.

While Lightfoot is capable of supplying all the data of traditional telematics devices, it doesn’t require tracking or feedback of data to the company or organisation.

Instead, Lightfoot helps the individual driver find their engine’s sweet spot and gives them a great range of incentives and rewards for doing so, improving efficiency and reducing risk both in and out of work.

In the four-month consumer trial, which involved weekly prizes and competitions, Lightfoot had a huge, positive impact with 60% of those participating becoming ‘Elite Drivers’ – something achieved by only the top 3% without Lightfoot.

Commenting on the launch of Lightfoot’s new initiative, Mark Roberts said: “We have a technology that instantly and sustainably improves the way people drive. It is achieving fantastic results turning thousands of fleet drivers into Elite Drivers.

“However, we want to go much further and get as many of the billion-plus vehicles on the planet driving the Lightfoot way so they save fuel, lower emissions and reduce accident rates.

“To do this we have pioneered the use of gamification – competition, leagues and prizes – to make the idea of driving better something people really want to do and actually enjoy.

We have proven the approach with private consumers, we are already successful in the fleet sector and now we want to expand the benefits to those driving company cars or using their own cars for work by making as many of them Elite Drivers as we can.”

Each week a randomly drawn Elite Driver wins a prize including, so far, supercar experiences, free meals and even a go kart race against former F1 world champion Nigel Mansell. As the concept rolls out, the prizes and incentives will become more and more attractive with a goal of giving away a car to an Elite Driver in 2017.

Mark Roberts adds: “Why shouldn’t better driving get you a better car? And it is not just about prizes – Elite Drivers will be eligible for a range of valuable additional benefits.

“For example, we are currently working with a leading insurance company on a policy which is expected to lead to savings of more than 30% on private motor insurance policies for those driving well with Lightfoot.”

Lightfoot’s attention-grabbing advertising campaign, which challenges drivers to find their ‘sweet spot’ will be at motorway service stations across the country throughout October, where it is expected to be seen by upwards of one million people.