Let’s face it: America’s road infrastructure is less than perfect. Potholes, pockmarks, and defects line hundreds of thousands of miles of pavement across this country. And with so many vehicles driving along these roads each day, deterioration is almost impossible to predict. Almost.
General Motors recently filed a patent application for a system aimed at warning drivers of road deterioration before they even see it. GM Authority uncovered details that show GM filed the application initially with the US Patent and Trademark Office on December 15th, 2023, though it wasn’t published publicly until June 19th, 2025. It lives under the patent number: US 2025/0200526 A1.
GM’s system would use sensors and cameras on vehicles, collecting road data such as suspension displacement, wheel rotation, and vibration as they drive. The company would then use those cameras to show road imperfections in real time—like potholes or pooling water—and beam that information up to the cloud via specific telematics and GPS.
From there, the system will determine a Road Maintenance Score that reflects the condition of the road in question. Poor enough score? GM could—in theory—send that information to officials for immediate attention.
GM’s system would also recommend alternate routes to drivers via the in-car navigation system if it detects broken pavement along their path. Though it wasn’t specified in the patent, we would expect a system like this to work in perfect tandem with GM’s Super Cruise, which will soon have 750,000 miles worth of roadways across the US and Canada already mapped out.
It’s certainly an interesting idea—and one that could theoretically save drivers thousands of dollars in repair bills, especially given America’s below-average road conditions.
GM Road Deterioration Patent Filing
Photo by: US Patent and Trademark Office
GM Road Deterioration Patent Filing
Photo by: US Patent and Trademark Office
Earlier this year, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave America’s infrastructure a “C” grade, as reported by Fortune. The ASCE takes things like bridges, dams, and, of course, roads into account when scoring, which happens once every four years.
The ASCE’s “C” grade is actually an improvement over the previous rating, due in large part to former President Biden’s $1-trillion infrastructure deal, which became law in 2021.
“We have seen the investments start to pay off, but we still have a lot of work to do out there,” noted Darren Olson, chair of the ASCE’s report. “By investing in our infrastructure, we’re making our economy more efficient, we’re making it stronger (and) we’re making ourselves globally more competitive.”
Of course, this road deterioration patent isn’t the only thing in GM’s arsenal aimed at helping drivers.
Last May, GM filed a patent dubbed the “Vehicle Occupant Mental Wellbeing Assessment and Countermeasure Deployment.” Essentially, a road rage deterrent that would use countermeasures to prevent an “undesirable situation” while on the road.
A separate GM patent filing from 2023 aimed at reducing headlight glare from oncoming vehicles via an augmented-reality, auto-dimming windshield.
It should be noted that GM hasn’t received patents for these inventions. But we can hope some of this technology makes its way to the road—and eventually improves our lives.
Source:
US Patent and Trademark Office via GM Authority
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