Potholes damage costs UK drivers £1.3 billion every year!
Potholes on British roads are an increasing problem. Research by Kwik Fit in 2020 revealed that the cost to UK drivers from pothole damage was £1.3 billion! In that same year, one UK local authority was forced to pay out £1.2 million to drivers for damage to their vehicles caused by potholes.
Redtail Telematics has been appointed by Synaptiv to help local councils say farewell to the fearsome pothole. It starts with data collected from Redtail’s ‘black box’ telematics devices, fitted to vehicles driving on UK roads. The data is transformed into an accurate assessment of the road surface that the vehicles are travelling along. This negates the need for specialist equipment to survey roads once a year or employ inspectors to manually assess damage locations.
Real-time road analysis using telematics reduces the need for specialist equipment
Since data is collected and analysed in real-time, the Synaptiv solution can monitor defects as they appear. Consequently, roads can be repaired quicker, before they pose a risk to drivers, or deteriorate and become costly to repair. The analytics employed also makes predictions on the rate at which a defect may deteriorate, helping councils prioritise repair schedules.
A twelve-month trial has revealed promising results
The solution has been trialled with councils for the past twelve months and successfully validated against traditional road surveying solutions. Recently, the DfT announced it will allow highway authorities to use new technologies for assessing road surface conditions. This news opens the market to innovative approaches. Approaches that are not only better performing but can be deployed at a far lower cost.
A word from the CEOs…
Redtail CEO Dr Colin Smithers said: “We are delighted that Synaptiv has appointed Redtail Telematics in their work to provide the data insights revolutionising the way local councils monitor and repair potholes. Our telematics devices and robust data capture technology ensures Synaptiv has the most reliable technology. Supporting their ongoing initiatives with local councils, and reducing costs and manpower when addressing the plague of UK roads… The pothole.”
Matt Lewis, CEO, Synaptiv commented: “Working with Redtail has allowed us to accelerate the development of our artificial intelligence algorithms capable of transforming data from connected vehicles into an accurate assessment of road health. It is exciting to see our innovation help local authorities start delivering on the promise of the smart city, with data-driven insights dramatically improving public services and enhancing the quality of life for citizens.”
