Surrey County Council is thought to be the first local authority in the UK to move away from manual inspections and solely use video and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to log and programme pothole repairs.
Computer vision cameras fitted to dashboards inside the authority’s highways vehicles will spot and photograph potholes and other defects, which will then be automatically recorded for repair.
Defects that do not need immediate attention will also be regularly tracked to ensure they are dealt with when needed, the council said.
It added that its inspectors will no longer need to step onto the road to carry out inspections, which will make the process safer and more efficient.
Matt Furniss, cabinet member for highways, transport and economic growth, said he was pleased that the authority is pioneering AI technology to detect potholes, as championed by the Government this week.
He said: ‘Adopting this technology will mean we can proactively log and fix potholes, helping to ensure we have well-maintained roads across the county for our residents.
‘We’re also resurfacing more roads and pavements than ever with 100 miles of roads and 30 miles of pavements resurfaced by our highways teams from April to December 2024 alone.
‘This will make our highway network more resilient, which will reduce the number of potholes that develop on our roads in the first place.'
It has worked with provider Route Reports to trial and develop the software.
Route Reports CEO Connell McLaughlin said: ‘We’re thrilled to formalise this long-term partnership with Surrey County Council, who were among our earliest supporters and collaborators in developing Route Reports’ AI road maintenance platform.
‘Their feedback and hands-on involvement played a key role in refining our defect detection technology to ensure it meets the real-world needs of the community.
‘This partnership exemplifies how innovative solutions and local expertise can come together to make roads safer, more efficient, and more sustainable.’
The council added that future enhancements will see other defects such as missing signs and foliage overgrowth also programmed for repair.
