Let’s face it: America’s highway infrastructure is lower than excellent. Potholes, pockmarks, and defects line a whole lot of hundreds of miles of pavement throughout this nation. And with so many autos driving alongside these roads every day, deterioration is nearly inconceivable to foretell. Nearly.

Common Motors lately filed a patent software for a system geared toward warning drivers of highway deterioration earlier than they even see it. GM Authority uncovered particulars that present GM filed the applying initially with the US Patent and Trademark Workplace on December fifteenth, 2023, although it wasn’t printed publicly till June nineteenth, 2025. It lives beneath the patent quantity: US 2025/0200526 A1.

GM’s system would use sensors and cameras on autos, amassing highway information akin to suspension displacement, wheel rotation, and vibration as they drive. The corporate would then use these cameras to indicate highway imperfections in actual time—like potholes or pooling water—and beam that data as much as the cloud through particular telematics and GPS.

From there, the system will decide a Street Upkeep Rating that displays the situation of the highway in query. Poor sufficient rating? GM may—in principle—ship that data to officers for rapid consideration.

GM’s system would additionally advocate alternate routes to drivers through the in-car navigation system if it detects damaged pavement alongside their path. Although it wasn’t specified within the patent, we might anticipate a system like this to work in excellent tandem with GM’s Tremendous Cruise, which can quickly have 750,000 miles value of roadways throughout the US and Canada already mapped out.

It is definitely an attention-grabbing thought—and one that would theoretically save drivers hundreds of {dollars} in restore payments, particularly given America’s below-average highway situations.

GM Street Deterioration Patent Submitting

Picture by: US Patent and Trademark Workplace

GM Street Deterioration Patent Submitting

Picture by: US Patent and Trademark Workplace

Earlier this yr, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave America’s infrastructure a “C” grade, as reported by Fortune. The ASCE takes issues like bridges, dams, and, in fact, roads under consideration when scoring, which occurs as soon as each 4 years.

The ASCE’s “C” grade is definitely an enchancment over the earlier score, due largely to former President Biden’s $1-trillion infrastructure deal, which turned legislation in 2021.

“We’ve got seen the investments begin to repay, however we nonetheless have a number of work to do on the market,” famous Darren Olson, chair of the ASCE’s report. “By investing in our infrastructure, we’re making our financial system extra environment friendly, we’re making it stronger (and) we’re making ourselves globally extra aggressive.”

In fact, this highway deterioration patent is not the one factor in GM’s arsenal geared toward serving to drivers.

Final Might, GM filed a patent dubbed the “Car Occupant Psychological Wellbeing Evaluation and Countermeasure Deployment.” Primarily, a highway rage deterrent that may use countermeasures to stop an “undesirable scenario” whereas on the highway.

A separate GM patent submitting from 2023 geared toward decreasing headlight glare from oncoming autos through an augmented-reality, auto-dimming windshield.

It ought to be famous that GM hasn’t acquired patents for these innovations. However we will hope a few of this expertise makes its technique to the highway—and ultimately improves our lives.