RoadAI turns routine drives into PAS 2161 condition reports.
If you're evaluating survey options for PAS 2161, you've probably considered the familiar route: hire a specialist contractor, wait for a survey window, receive the data weeks (or months) later, and hope the quality holds up.
RoadAI works differently. You collect survey data using smartphones mounted on your own vehicles, and get the results the same day. You choose where and when you survey, building your PAS 2161 dataset over time rather than relying on a single contracted window.
In this post, you'll see what that looks like in practice: how to collect PAS 2161 condition data with RoadAI, how to ensure complete coverage, and how to export pre-formatted reports ready for submitting to DfT.
Collect PAS 2161 data as you drive
Your crews are already on the network for inspections and reactive works. With RoadAI, those routine drives build your PAS 2161 dataset incrementally on your terms.
Mount a smartphone on the windscreen, open the RoadAI app, and drive. RoadAI detects surface distresses and maps them to the PAS 2161 defect types. It then groups those observations into 10‑metre sections and assigns each a PAS 2161 category from 1 to 5 based on severity and extent of deterioration.
Automatic quality checks exclude any sections where visibility, weather, or positioning fall short of the standard. Processing happens the same day, so you’ll know immediately if a section requires a second pass. Just send another vehicle out when conditions are better. No negotiating with contractors, no rush charges, no panic.
You also get the full audit trail: video footage, defect locations, and quality flags for every section.
RoadAI shows PAS 2161 classification data as colour-coded segments on your network map.
View PAS 2161 condition scores on a map
RoadAI includes a dedicated view for PAS 2161. The network is coloured by condition category, so you can immediately see where sections are stable, where preventative treatment might still work, and where you're looking at major schemes.
Selecting a section brings up the underlying video and the defects that contributed to its score. This is useful when planning treatments or explaining to stakeholders why one road is on the programme and another is not. Instead of pointing at a number in a spreadsheet, you can show them the road surface.
The map always reflects your most recent survey data, so if you resurveyed a section after patching or surface dressing, the updated condition is already there.
Create PAS 2161-compliant CSV files in minutes
RoadAI removes the burden of producing PAS 2161 reports for DfT.
Select the date range and road classes you want to include, choose the relevant surveys, and generate a PAS 2161 CSV report. RoadAI compiles a file that’s formatted to the PAS 2161 specification and ready for DfT submission.
No manual editing, no chasing contractors for missing data, and no late nights patching together spreadsheets from different sources.
The most affordable option for PAS 2161
PAS 2161 support is built into RoadAI, not sold as an add-on. There's no separate licence tier, no per‑report fee, no extra processing charge.
And because you're using smartphones instead of specialist vehicles, there's no practical limit on how often you survey. Collect data weekly, resurvey after treatments, and cover roads that never made it onto your SCANNER surveys. The cost of a run is negligible, so coverage is a choice, not a budget negotiation.
Beyond PAS 2161
RoadAI provides far more than the standard PAS 2161 condition ratings. It also detects and categorises potholes, distresses, repairs, markings, signs, and other roadside assets in one pass, with no additional effort or manual editing required.
You’ll also have a complete video history of your network for record-keeping, reporting, liability protection, budget justification, and other use cases beyond road maintenance.
See more with a personal demo
If you're comparing options and want to see whether RoadAI fits your network and deadlines, the quickest route is a short demo. We will walk through what a survey looks like from the driver's seat, show you the PAS 2161 map view and a sample CSV output, and discuss how it works with your existing processes, systems, and budgets.
