Jaguar Land Rover Wants To Save Us From Pothole Hell

If you were to list the most irritating aspects of motoring, pot holes would be up there. Not only is it rather uncomfortable slamming into one you’ve not noticed, potholes are also potentially costly: the damn things cost us an estimated £2.8 billion every year in the UK alone through punctures, suspension and wheel damage and even accidents. So, what can be done? Jaguar Land Rover seems to think it has the answer.

The British firm has been developing a technology that will scan the road ahead for potholes - as well as broken manhole covers and drains - and upload the data to The Cloud. The idea is that other vehicles will be able to access the information, so drivers can be warned about any incoming imperfections, and slow down or change course as necessary.

Also, local authorities can be informed of the location and severity of the potholes so they can prioritise the repair of the particularly nasty ones. Think of it as a more sophisticated version of the system a local news channel implemented in Panama recently, which automatically Tweeted the government every time particular potholes were struck.

The Range Rover Evoque that JLR has been using as a research vehicle can currently only detect potholes when it drives over them, so the technology has a long way to go. However, eventually it should be advanced enough to predict the severity of potholes in the road ahead using a stereo digital camera, and even slow or stop the car if necessary.