The iBeacon technology, which begins and stops recording each journey automatically, uses wireless communication with a driver’s iPhone to recognise when they enter and leave the vehicle.

Jez Strong, MileageCount product manager, said: “This breakthrough means that drivers no longer have to remember to turn anything on or off. The vehicle’s iBeacon and the MileageCount app on the driver’s iPhone take care of everything. It removes the risk of journeys being forgotten altogether, or mileage not being fully recorded.”

The coin-sized device is placed anywhere within the vehicle and communicates specifically with the driver’s individual iPhone. As a driver approaches their vehicle, the iBeacon establishes a connection and turns on the MileageCount app installed on the iPhone. The initial GPS location is recorded and journey tracking begins. When the driver leaves the vehicle, iBeacon notes the final GPS location, ends the trip and turns off the app.

Strong added: “Fleet managers will welcome the assurance of complete, foolproof mileage tracking. Drivers will be happy that iBeacon uses a different frequency to Bluetooth. They can still listen to music or take hands-free calls, while iBeacon does its work in the background.”