Carmaker Ford has said it is experimenting with technology to detect potholes and warn drivers of their locations.

Cars equipped with cameras could constantly scan roads during journeys, with resulting data on potholes displayed on other drivers’ dashboards.

The idea is being tested at the firm’s research centre in Aachen, Germany.

One expert said altering routes to avoid potholes might not always be possible.

“A virtual pothole map could highlight a new pothole the minute it appears and almost immediately warn other drivers that there is a hazard ahead,” said Uwe Hoffmann, a research engineer at Ford.

“Our cars already feature sensors that detect potholes and now we are looking at taking this to the next level.”