A stretch of the A38 in Sutton Coldfield, also known as the Sutton Coldfield Bypass, has been flagged as ‘unhealthy’ by the navigation app Stan The App, an emerging alternative to Google Maps.
The app identified yellow and orange health scores on the portion of the A38 between Minworth Island and the M6 Toll junction. These scores indicate potential road issues that drivers should be aware of.
Stan The App lets users record the road ahead using their smartphones and upload the footage. Using AI and computer vision technology, the app analyzes the video to detect road defects such as potholes, cracks, and pooling water. Based on this analysis, it assigns a health score to small sections of the road, displayed as color-coded circles on a bird’s-eye map.
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While most of the A38 is marked with green—the highest score possible—an area near Wishaw Golf Club and Bulls Lane shows yellow and orange circles, suggesting moderate road problems. Although the app does not provide specific reasons for these ratings, it indicates that the road condition in this area may require attention.
There are five possible health scores ranging from dark red (worst) to green (best). A spokesperson for Stan The App explained, “Stan the App utilizes cutting-edge computer vision technology to identify road defects, such as potholes, with remarkable accuracy. Your contributions, along with those of other users, help to build a comprehensive database of road defects, enabling the prioritisation of repairs effectively.”
In May 2024, BirminghamLive tested the app along various routes, finding mostly green scores in urban areas like northern Wolverhampton, while smaller county roads near the Staffordshire border showed more defects.
Drivers using the A38 in Sutton Coldfield should stay alert for potential road imperfections in the flagged zones and consider reporting any new issues to help improve road safety.