We have tested several of these “traffic light” systems in the past but Lightfoot takes the technology much further.

And thereby lies the source of the initial annoyance.

Every time the system decides it’s time to change gear it pings gently.

On many occasions I was actually in the process of changing anyway.

Then if the system decides you need a little smack on the wrist, one of those annoying sat-nav type ladies tells you so in no uncertain terms: “Improve driving style”. Two warnings and she starts telling the fleet manager back in the office too.

But as stated earlier, the annoyance is initial and short-lived and I soon began to work out how to keep those lights from going up into the amber and red areas. It’s not that difficult.

While the system basically works on G-Forces, it’s interesting to note that it is intelligent enough not to zoom off the scale during an emergency stop – it can tell the difference between bad driving and the need to avoid a crash.

What Lightfoot hates is acceleration and a medium dab on the throttle is enough to set that red light twinkling.

Obviously what I call harsh acceleration and what Lightfoot calls harsh acceleration are different things.

Suffice to say that after three days I had learned to accept the system’s quirky little ways and the lady living under the dashboard didn’t smack my wrist half as often as on the first day.

At the end of the day Lightfoot is not just about saving money for the fleet manager. It also means drivers are likely to have fewer accidents and are less likely to be caught speeding.

They will also remain calmer and less stressed on the roads, which can’t be a bad thing.

One piece of advice though to anyone thinking of fitting Lightfoot: it’s imperative to get the drivers involved first.

Tell them why you are installing the system and show them the rather natty YouTube video that goes with it explaining how it works and what the benefits are.

Fail to do this and you’ll end up with a bunch of surly blokes (or ladies) who will scupper your best intentions one way or another.