Pothole Alert: Jaguar Land Rover’s New Warning System

The dreaded thud experienced as a wheel suddenly dips below the road surface could soon be more easily avoided, thanks to new technology from Jaguar Land Rover.

Called ‘Pothole Alert’, the new system warns drivers of a pothole in the road ahead (as the name suggests) or a broken manhole cover. The hope is that the warning will give them the time and space to avoid driving through it.

Vehicles fitted with forward-facing radars and cameras will soon be able to ‘read’ the road surface ahead and determine if potholes are present, feeding this information back to the driver.

And beyond the driver, the aim for JLR is to share this information with other vehicles in the area to warn following drivers of a pothole up ahead.

Local councils and road authorities will also be notified of the location and severity of the pothole - which even includes a picture of the pothole taken by the vehicle’s camera - to enable more efficient repair times at less expense. 

This system is already being developed in conjunction with Coventry City Council in the UK.

Roads