Potholes are among the most common challenges that motorists face on the road. But thanks to emerging technology, drivers will soon be able to buy ‘bump-proof’ cars to avoid damage. Ford are planning to equip the latest Focus model with a Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) system designed to detect craters. The system would adjust the car’s speed, cushioning the impact on the suspension and reducing the shock.
The CCD system features 12 sensors that monitor the road surface beneath the car for lumps every two milliseconds. A spokesperson for Ford said “while potholes may be unavoidable, our development of an advanced computer-controlled shock absorber marks a huge step forward in minimising their effects.”
Potholes are a major concern in the UK, with councils admitting that nearly 25,000 miles of road are in need of repairs. Dubbed the ‘plague of potholes’ by the RAC, a survey showed 3565 drivers reported broken suspension springs and shock absorbers in a three-month period. A recent example was a pothole opening up in Stoke-on-Trent, which damaged five vehicles in the space of an hour.
Pete Williams, a representative of RAC said “there is little doubt that the UK is experiencing a plague of potholes with road surface damage at some of the worst levels we have seen in years. The toxic combination of rain, ice and snow over a prolonged period have taken their toll and we are expecting that damage to cars will be significantly up on the same period in 2017.”
The motoring organisation has encouraged the government to ring-fence 5p per litre from existing fuel duty revenue to finance long-term local road maintenance in order to get UK roads “fit of purpose.”
Given how much of an issue potholes are, the new technology is bound to make a difference when it’s implemented.
