Waves of spray had caused almost whiteout conditions on the A34 during the recent day of heavy rain. Peering through the windscreen I wished, not for the first time, that there was something other than the flickering tail lights of the vehicles in front to guide me.

Ironically, I was on my way to the headquarters of Clearview Traffic in Bicester, which has a division called Astucia, manufacturer of a new solar-powered road lighting system.

Management say it is designed as a replacement for the traditional Catseye technology which revolutionised road safety when it was introduced in the 1930s.

The round blocks contain bright light-emitting diodes powered by solar cells and rechargeable batteries which illuminate the road for up to 1,000 metres ahead, rather than the 90 metres available with the Catseye retro-reflective stud. The light can last up to ten days on a full charge.

Critically, research suggests that accident rates can be reduced greatly because the greater visibility boosts the amount of reaction time available to a driver from 3.2 seconds to more than 30 seconds.

That means lives can be saved and the other saving is the cost to the UK economy. It is estimated that each death on the UK's roads costs £1.69m.

The Astucia system was originally invented in 1992 by former London fireman Martin Dicks, and is now in its fourth generation.

In its various incarnations it has been used in a variety of locations, including around the High Wycombe junction of the M40, and has been proven to cut accident rates.

The Astucia stud sits almost flush with the road but is designed to last between seven and ten years, rather than two or less.

It is also being used to replace street lights in certain rural areas, reducing light pollution and the costs of power.

All that sounds good but the major sticking point is cost. The Astucia blocks cost £31 each, whereas the traditional Catseye is about a tenth of that.

What sales and marketing director Martin Rodgers has to do is convince councils of the overall benefits of Astucia, plus the fact that its studs last far longer and the logistical cost of replacing Catseyes every two years can be avoided.

Efforts are also being made to reduce the cost to about £20, which Mr Rodgers is convinced will tip the balance in his favour.

He said: "The Astucia system saves lives, it is greener and it fits with corporate social responsibility targets. We are also offering councils the opportunity to spread the cost over a period of up to seven years, which means everyone wins."

Astucia makes up a third of Clearview Traffic's business. The other divisions are Golden River, which is concerned with supplying systems for measuring traffic flow on the motorways and the main trunk road network.

Equipment is supplied to all local authorities in the UK, which helps identify traffic blackspots and how traffic is moving in any particular area at a given time.

And Count on Us is the arm of the company responsible for traffic surveys carried out by people who log vehicle flows in a bid to combat congestion and allow for better planning.

The company has existed in one form or another in Bicester since 1976, when it was known as Golden River and based on the town's Churchill Road.

Astucia then merged with Golden River with the backing of Reading Football Club magnate John Madejski, Clearview's major shareholder. He also invested a further £3m into the business and the company was relaunched in April. According to Mr Rodgers, Clearview has been heavily dependent on the "successes of the past" until now.

He said: "The product was tired and we lost a lot of contact with our customer group including the Highways Agency and the councils."

Then in August last year, Kevin Adams was appointed as the new chief executive. Having had experience of major public limited companies at executive level, his brief was to relaunch the company.

In the last nine months the business has been completely restructured with significant recruitment, especially in sales and marketing, where the headcount has risen from five to 14 with up to seven more set to swell the ranks still further.

About 70 people now work from the Bicester headquarters, where the main Astucia and Golden River businesses are based. There are also a further ten regional offices, as well as international bases in countries such as Australia and Ireland.

Two further acquisitions have also taken place in the last three months - Paul Castle Consulting in Banbury, and the survey division of Capita Simonds.

The aim is to supply a complete one stop shop' service to clients such as the Highways Agency, rather than just a particular product.

Mr Rodgers added: "The intention is to get the business to the point where we can become a plc - we are looking to grow our turnover from £15m to £21m this year."