Frequently Asked Questions

Find the answers to all your questions about Lightfoot here

What types of vehicle does Lightfoot work with?

Lightfoot is suitable for use in all company cars, LCVs (up to and including 7.5T), and electric vehicles (EVs).


What size of fleet does Lightfoot work with?

Lightfoot works with fleets of all sizes, offering a fully scalable solution that benefits every business from small local fleets of just a few vehicles to global fleets of 10,000+ vehicles.


Will Lightfoot work in my electric vehicle?

Yes, Lightfoot is compatible with all electric vehicles, helping you to maintain safer, smoother driving in your electric fleet. You can find out more about our EV fleet management system here.

How does the Lightfoot trial work?

The Lightfoot trial allows you to try our solutions for free with no commitment. We’ll run our devices in your vehicles in a Blind phase and a Live phase, giving you the opportunity to see conclusively what a difference our technology can make to your fleet. At the end of the trial, you’ll receive a full report with all the data you need to make an informed decision about whether Lightfoot is the right fleet telematics solution for you. Learn more here.


What if I don’t want to continue with Lightfoot after the trial?

Not a problem! If you decide our vehicle management system isn’t for you, we’ll simply remove the fleet telematics devices from your vehicles. There’s no cost, no commitment, and no inconvenience attached to this free trial, it’s simply a chance for you to make a more informed decision about whether our fleet management solutions are suitable or not.


How long does the Lightfoot trial last?

Depending on your fleet size, the trial will either span a 4 or 8-week period. This gives you enough time and data to fully understand how Lightfoot would help you meet your business objectives if rolled out to the entire fleet.


What services are included in the trial?

If you sign up for a free Lightfoot trial, you’ll get to experience our full fleet management solution in order to give you the most accurate idea of what our telematics technology can offer you. A selection of your fleet vehicles will be fitted with our driver coaching devices, and you’ll be given access to our web-based fleet management portal in order to track progress and measure the results.

How is Lightfoot installed?

Lightfoot connects to your vehicle via the OBD, using standard vehicle COMs. Our qualified installation experts will get everything set up for you, ensuring that Lightfoot is installed quickly and easily in your fleet.


Can I install Lightfoot myself?

Absolutely! You can install Lightfoot in your vehicle in 3 easy steps:

  1. Locate your vehicle’s OBD socket.
  2. Mount the unit to the bottom right-hand side of your windscreen, tucking any wires into the trim of the vehicle to ensure they’re tidied away.
  3. Plug the Lightfoot device into the OBD socket – the unit will chime and light up.

When you start your vehicle, you should hear “Lightfoot installation successful” – this means you’re ready to go!

Remember to be careful with the Lightfoot cable – make sure it’s routed so it does not in any way interfere with your ability to safely operate your vehicle.


Can I move my Lightfoot device to another vehicle?

It’s easy to move your Lightfoot device to a new vehicle.

If you installed it yourself, all you need to do is unplug it from your OBD port and reconnect it in your new vehicle. Don’t forget to let us know your new vehicle registration details so that we can update your account and reset your device!

If your Lightfoot device was professionally installed, it will need to be removed by our installation engineers, which may incur a small charge. Please contact our team to arrange this.


How do I set up my Lightfoot account?

To set up your Lightfoot driver account, download the app to register your email address and password.

If you are a fleet driver, you’ll need to request a unique activation code that links your account to your fleet. Your manager can send you this, you can request it in the app, or you can enter your details here.

If you are a private motorist and installed Lightfoot yourself, you’ll need to add your serial number to link your device to your account.

How does Lightfoot understand my driving?

Your Lightfoot device is connected to your vehicle’s onboard computer, from which it’s able to collect and understand the raw engine data as you drive.

Lightfoot has been developed by automotive engineers and uses F1-style analytics to process the information it reads from your engine. This allows it to understand your driving style in a much more advanced way than standard telematics devices and black boxes.

For example, the system can detect your gear selection, revs, engine load, payload, whether your vehicle is going uphill or downhill, and even whether it’s towing. This enables it to provide much more relevant feedback on your driving than systems that simply rely on GPS or harsh driving metrics.

Although Lightfoot is connected to your vehicle, it cannot alter any of your vehicle settings – it simply reads the information in order to provide guidance on how to increase your driving efficiency at any given moment.



Why does my Lightfoot device react when I speed up on slip roads?

Lightfoot is there to guide you towards more efficient driving but remember that it can’t see the road ahead.

You may notice your device’s lights turn amber or red when you join fast-moving traffic, but this doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong – it’s just letting you know that your driving style could be more efficient in that moment.

Speeding up quickly isn’t a particularly efficient or economical way of driving – but it is sometimes necessary, especially when joining motorways from slip roads, accelerating at a roundabout, or pulling away at junctions. It’s absolutely fine to do these things as they are all part of being a safe driver, and that’s why we’d never expect you to keep your Lightfoot device in the green 100% of the time – it’s just not practical for everyday driving.

As long as you’re driving smoothly whenever it’s safe to do so, we think you really are an Elite Driver!


Can I still tow with Lightfoot?

Towing a caravan or trailer after you’ve had Lightfoot installed should be no problem at all, as your Lightfoot device is configured to take into account engine load and will factor in the change in conditions if you are towing.


What is an idling penalty?

Engine idling – leaving the engine running whilst the vehicle is stationary – can have a big impact on both fuel consumption and air pollution.

The engine idling alerts help to create awareness, reminding you to switch the engine off whenever you can. Any idling penalties you receive will not affect your Lightfoot score.


Is Lightfoot aware of speed limits?

Your Lightfoot device is aware of the speed limit on all roads, based on the location information that is sent to our servers. It is also able to monitor variations in speed limits for different vehicle types.

Fleet managers can set different limitations for speeding incidents and categorise these as minor, major, and severe. Any instances of speeding will be recorded in the fleet management portal.

Lightfoot does not give live feedback on speed limits, unless the Live Overspeed Alerts feature has been enabled. This alerts drivers whenever they exceed the speed limit.

Towing a caravan or trailer after you’ve had Lightfoot installed should be no problem at all, as your Lightfoot device is configured to take into account engine load and will factor in the change in conditions if you are towing.


Will Lightfoot drain my vehicle battery?

No, Lightfoot will not drain your vehicle’s battery.

The Lightfoot device requires extremely little power to operate, using under 20 mA when everything is up and running. When your engine is off, Lightfoot enters sleep mode and will only draw less than 15 mA of current – this means you’d have to leave your vehicle switched off for over a year for Lightfoot to drain your battery!


Does Lightfoot alter any settings within my vehicle?

No, Lightfoot is a read-only device. This means it is not capable of making any changes to your vehicle settings, it can only read the data being produced.

How is my Lightfoot score calculated?

Your Lightfoot score is calculated based on the time you spend driving in the green, amber, and red zones.

Lightfoot measures the time your device was showing the green light and then subtracts any time spent with the red light showing. Deductions are also made for any Lightfoot penalties you received during your journeys that week.

Remember, no one is expecting you to stay in the green 100% of the time – as long as you score 85% at the end of the week, you’ll be an Elite Driver and eligible for rewards and giveaways.


How can I improve my Lightfoot score?

The key to scoring highly with Lightfoot is driving in a safe and efficient style that results in less fuel consumption, fewer harmful emissions, and reduced wear and tear on your vehicle.

This means driving in a more measured way and having a greater awareness of how you drive. Gentle acceleration and prompt gear changes are examples of this and will help you stay in the green wherever possible.

Driving in a smoother way will also make you to feel more relaxed, which helps you be more aware of your surroundings, anticipate other road users’ actions, and spot potential hazards early on. With quicker reactions, not only are you a safer driver, but you’ll also have less need for harsh driving manoeuvres like sudden braking or speeding away.

However, don’t worry if you do receive the occasional nudge or warning from Lightfoot – that’s part of everyday driving and these will be confidential between you and your device. Just make small adjustments where you can and you should still hit the Elite Driver target.


I drive my vehicle for personal use too, will those journeys affect my Lightfoot score?

Driver privacy is a big focus here at Lightfoot, which is why we give you and your employer plenty of options to customise Lightfoot and ensure it’s as non-intrusive as possible.

Your employer can set the time that Lightfoot is operative in your vehicle, so if you’re using it for personal driving, it can be switched off outside of business hours.

With the Driver ID pad, you can also indicate which journeys to log as private or personal mileage, and if any journeys are wrongly logged, you can re-classify these through your Lightfoot app.


What prizes can drivers win?

All Elite Drivers are eligible to enter our weekly Drivers’ Lottery, where you can win cash prizes up to £100.

We also host weekly giveaways, with past prizes including cameras, iPads, supercar experiences, days out, longbow lessons, dinner for two at the Shard, hampers, drones, and of course, the coveted Lightfoot mug!

Can I export my Lightfoot data?

Yes, you can export your Lightfoot data at any time.


Does Lightfoot integrate with third-party software?

Yes! You can use our API to pull Lightfoot data into your other business solutions. Learn more here.


Does Lightfoot integrate with third-party hardware?

Absolutely. We can connect your Lightfoot device to third-party equipment – contact our team today to find out more about our bespoke integrations.

How much does Lightfoot cost?

Lightfoot provides an affordable, cost-effective fleet solution involving an upfront payment for the hardware and an ongoing monthly subscription for the accompanying service. Lease purchasing options are also available. Please contact our team to find out more.


How quickly will we start making savings with Lightfoot?

Once Lightfoot has been fully activated in your fleet, with the devices in Live mode, driver performance will begin to improve as your drivers learn to adjust their driving style in line with the in-cab feedback. This means you should start to experience the benefits of Lightfoot straight away.

How do I contact the Lightfoot team?

Need to speak with our Support team? Get in touch with us through the support centre or email support@lightfoot.co.uk


What’s the best way for drivers to access Lightfoot support?

If you need help figuring out your Lightfoot device or app, the best way to receive support is to contact your fleet manager, who will either be able to assist you straight away or contact the Lightfoot team on your behalf.

Alternatively, you may find the answer you’re looking for in our support centre, or you can email the team at support@lightfoot.co.uk.


How do I become a Lightfoot Partner?

To join the Lightfoot Partner Programme, get in touch with us today. You can find out more about our Partners here.