Hitting a pothole is never fun, and can even wreak havoc on a vehicle’s tires, wheels, and suspension system. However, Jaguar->ke39 Land Rover->ke5034 is working on a system that reports potholes to fellow motorists and even to roadway authorities via the “connected car” concept.

As you man have heard, the connected car model works by having vehicles send data to each other via a wireless, car-to-car network. The types of data that can be transferred is nearly limitless and includes things like vehicle position, intended direction, crash reports, traffic advisories, and now thanks to JLR, reports on the location and severity of potholes.

The process works by a vehicle “feeling” a pothole via its suspension system and then reporting it on the connected car network. Many JLR vehicles, including Land Rover and Range Rover->ke469 products, already monitor road surfaces in order to adjust suspension settings in a split-second time frame. Now engineers only have to tag the severe road depressions with a GPS location and send that information over the network.

Once reported, cars on the network would then receive automated warnings of potholes in the vehicle’s path, and then give drivers ample time to prepare for bump by slowing down or dodging the obstacle.

This system is still in the development stage, but doesn’t seem too far-fetched. It’s likely we’ll see this system – or something similar to it – make its way into production in the no-so-distant future.

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Why it Matters

Potholes can really mess up a vehicle’s running gear. The low-profile tires and large rims fitted to many modern-day crossovers and SUVs are at a particularly high risk for damage, though even the toughest of rigs can be rendered inoperable after encountering a missing section of roadway. Such a warning system as JLR’s would help drivers keep an eye out for dangerous road conditions.

Props to Truck Yeah for the story lead

2015 Land Rover LR4