Section 1
What Road Data does
Road Data turns your phone into a road damage sensor. While you drive, the app uses your phone's accelerometer to detect jolts and your GPS to pinpoint where they happened. Events are logged with location, severity, road name, speed, and weather — then synced to the database automatically.
📳
Motion detection
Detects potholes, rough surfaces, and collapsed roadway via accelerometer
📍
GPS tagging
Every event stamped with coordinates, road name, city, county, and state
🌦️
Weather logging
Temperature, wind, and conditions recorded at detection time
🗺️
Live fleet map
All road damage events from your entire fleet on an interactive map
☁️
Auto-sync
Events upload automatically — queue offline, sync when reconnected
📤
Data export
CSV and GeoJSON with truck count per location for DOT submissions
Section 2
Getting started
1
Create your account
Tap "Create one free" on the sign-in screen. Enter name, email, password, and vehicle ID. Vehicle ID can be a truck number, license plate, or any fleet identifier.
2
Grant sensor permissions
Tap "Grant access & continue" and allow Location and Motion. Select "Always allow" for location so events are tagged when the app runs in the background.
3
Install to home screen (recommended)
Android: Chrome menu → "Add to Home Screen." iOS: Safari Share → "Add to Home Screen." Gives full-screen mode and better background performance.
4
Set threshold and mount your phone
In Monitor tab set detection threshold — 1.5g is recommended for city driving. Mount your phone flat on the dash or seat before driving.
5
Tap Start monitoring and drive
Status indicator turns green. Minimize the app — Road Data detects and logs events in the background while you drive normally.
Section 3
Monitor tab — live detection
Stats row
- Critical — critical severity events detected today
- Today — total events detected today
- Synced — events successfully uploaded to the database
Live acceleration meter
Shows current G-force in real time. Bar fills blue for normal driving, turns red when exceeding your threshold. Weather badge shows conditions when enrichment is on.
Acceleration waveform
Scrolling graph of the last few seconds of accelerometer data. Red dashed line shows your threshold — any spike above it triggers an event log.
Sensitivity sliders
- Threshold — minimum G-force to trigger an event. Lower = more sensitive.
- Min interval — minimum time between detections. Prevents logging the same pothole multiple times.
Start / Stop monitoring
Tap to toggle. Status pill turns green when active. You can minimize the app after starting — monitoring continues in the background.
Section 4
Events tab — your detections
Lists every road event on your device, newest first. Each entry shows severity icon, event type, sync status (☁️ synced / ⏳ pending), road name, location, weather, G-force, and time.
Severity levels
🚨 Critical G-force ≥ 4.5g — severe pothole or collapsed surface
⚠️ High G-force ≥ 3.0g — significant pothole or major impact
📍 Medium G-force ≥ threshold — surface roughness or minor impact
Sync now button
Manually uploads all pending events. Useful after being offline or after clearing local events.
Clear local button
Removes events from device storage. Synced data in the database is unaffected.
Section 5
Export tab — downloading your data
Export CSV — all events
Downloads all events as a spreadsheet. Includes a reports_count column showing how many vehicles detected damage within 50 meters of the same location. This is one of the most commercially valuable fields for DOT submissions.
Export GeoJSON — map data
Downloads in GeoJSON format — standard for ArcGIS, QGIS, and government GIS systems. Each event is a geographic point with all data fields including reports_count. Drag the file into kepler.gl to instantly visualize on a map.
Critical events only
Exports Critical and High severity events only — for targeted damage reports to road authorities.
About reports_count
This field shows how many trucks independently detected road damage at the same location. A reports_count of 5 means 5 different vehicles confirmed the damage — far stronger evidence than a single report, and significantly more valuable to road agencies making repair decisions.
Section 6
Settings tab
Driver profile
Tap "Edit profile" to update your name, vehicle ID, company, phone, and license state. Not included in anonymized data sold to third parties.
Detection options
- Speed gating — only detect above 10 mph. Prevents false positives when parked. Recommended: ON.
- Auto-sync — uploads events immediately after detection. Recommended: ON.
- Road name lookup — reverse geocodes GPS via OpenStreetMap. Recommended: ON.
- Weather enrichment — fetches conditions via Open-Meteo. Cached 10 minutes. Recommended: ON.
- Haptic feedback — vibrates on detection. Recommended: ON.
Links
- 📖 User guide — this page
- 🗺️ Live map — fleet map
- Privacy policy — how your data is used
- Terms of service — your agreement with Road Data
- Change password — reset your password
Section 7
Live map
The Live Map shows road damage events from your entire fleet. Access from Settings → 🗺️ Live map or directly at roaddata.tech/map.html. Sign in with your Road Data account.
Pin colors
Red — Critical (G-force ≥ 4.5g)
Orange — High (G-force ≥ 3.0g)
Blue — Medium
Purple — Multiple vehicles reported damage here
Green pulsing — Active event (last 15 minutes)
Filter sidebar (☰)
Tap ☰ to open filters:
- Severity — All, Critical, High, or Medium
- Truck ID search — type a truck ID to show only that vehicle's events. IDs are never listed — privacy protected.
- State, Date range, Event type — additional filters
Tap Apply filters & close ✓ to apply and return to the map.
Heatmap mode
Tap 🔥 Heat to switch to a heat density view — shows damage hotspots as a color gradient from blue (sparse) to red (dense).
Popup details
Tap any pin to see G-force, road name, location, speed, weather, and timestamp. Purple cluster pins show how many vehicles reported damage at that location.
Stats strip
Bottom strip shows live counts of Critical, High, Medium events, active trucks, and unique road names in the current view.
Section 8
Detection sensitivity
| Threshold | Level | Sensitivity |
|---|
| 0.5–1.0g | Low | Impact Sensitivity |
| 1.0–1.5g | Medium | Impact Sensitivity |
| 1.5–2.0g | City streets | May miss very minor roughness |
| 2.0–3.0g | Highway driving | Only significant impacts |
| 3.0–5.0g | Severe | Impact Sensitivity |
💡 Tip
Start at 1.5g. Check the Events tab after your first drive — if you see events every few minutes on smooth roads, raise the threshold. If you're on rough roads and barely see any events, lower it.
Section 9
Phone placement while driving
⚠️ Important
Never hold your phone while driving. Mount it or place it flat on a stable surface before starting.
Best positions
- Dashboard mount, face up — most stable, cleanest accelerometer signal
- Flat on the seat — good on trucks with firm flat seats
- Cup holder — acceptable if snug. Slight signal degradation.
- Windshield mount — works but picks up more engine vibration
Avoid
- Loose in pocket or bag — constant false positives from hand movement
- On soft seat cushions — absorbs the impacts you're trying to detect
Section 10
Background monitoring
Android
- Install to home screen (Chrome menu → "Add to Home Screen")
- Settings → Apps → Chrome → Battery → set to "Unrestricted"
- Disable battery optimization for Chrome
iOS
- Install to home screen (Safari → Share → "Add to Home Screen")
- Keep app visible on screen for critical routes — iOS limits background JS execution
- Avoid Low Power Mode during monitoring sessions
💡 Tip
For long routes keep the screen on with Road Data visible. A phone mount on the dash makes this easy and keeps detection reliable.
Section 11
Troubleshooting
No events on rough roads
- Lower the threshold — try 1.0g and shake the phone hard to test
- Check the waveform — if it stays at 0.0g, motion sensor permission may be blocked
- Check phone placement — soft surfaces absorb the impacts you're trying to detect
Too many false positives
- Raise the threshold to 2.0g or 2.5g
- Enable speed gating — eliminates events when parked or in slow traffic
- Secure your phone mount — loose mounts rattle and create phantom readings
Missing GPS or road names
- Wait 15–30 seconds after starting monitoring for GPS to acquire a signal
- Road name populates a few seconds after detection via geocoding
- Tunnels and underground areas have poor GPS coverage
Events not syncing
- Check internet connection
- Events tab → tap "Sync now ↑" to force upload
- Events queue locally and sync automatically when connectivity returns
Map not showing events
- Sign out and sign back in — session may have expired
- Tap ↻ Refresh in the map topbar
- Confirm events exist in Supabase Table Editor → road_events
App issues after phone update
- Re-grant permissions: Phone Settings → Browser app → Permissions
- Remove from home screen and reinstall from the browser
Section 12
Privacy and data use
Road Data sells anonymized road event data to road construction companies and government transportation agencies. Your personal details are never included in sold datasets. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
What is sold
- GPS coordinates, G-force, severity, event type
- Road name, city, county, state, postcode
- Speed, heading, weather conditions
- Reports count — how many vehicles detected the same damage location
- Anonymous device identifier (not linked to your name or email)
What is never sold
- Your name, email, or phone number
- Your vehicle license plate
- Any identifier traceable to you personally
Section 13
Subscription and billing
Road Data Pro is a monthly subscription that unlocks the app for drivers — motion detection, GPS event logging, the live fleet map, data export, and the seller portal for selling the data you collect.
Plan and pricing
| Plan | Road Data Pro |
|---|
| Price | $9.99 / month — first 5 days free |
|---|
| Billing | Recurring monthly, charged automatically via Stripe |
|---|
| Cancel anytime | Yes — no long-term contract |
|---|
Subscribing
1
Create your driver account
Sign up with your name, email, password, and vehicle ID.
2
Complete checkout
New accounts are taken to a secure Stripe Checkout page to start a 5-day free trial. A card is required to start the trial, but you're not charged the $9.99/month until the trial ends — cancel anytime before then at no cost. Card details are handled entirely by Stripe — Road Data never sees or stores them.
3
Start using the app
You get full access immediately after starting your trial — no need to wait for the trial to end.
What's included
- Automatic road damage detection and GPS-tagged event logging
- Live fleet map with severity filters
- CSV and GeoJSON export for DOT and insurance submissions
- Background monitoring with wake lock and persistent notification support
- Access to the seller portal — list the data you collect for sale to DOT agencies and road construction companies
Buyer portal — no subscription required
Anyone can create a free buyer account at the data marketplace to browse and purchase road damage datasets, whether or not they have a Road Data Pro driver subscription.
Managing your subscription
- If a payment fails or your subscription lapses, you'll be returned to the checkout screen the next time you open the app until billing is resolved
- To cancel, or to update your card on file, contact support@roaddata.tech
- Complimentary or beta-tester access is occasionally granted directly by Road Data staff and does not require a card on file
Tip
Driving through areas with weak cell signal is normal and won't interrupt an active subscription — the app checks your status when you open it and gives you the benefit of the doubt while offline, so you won't get bounced to checkout mid-route.
Billing questions
For receipts, refunds, or any billing issue, email support@roaddata.tech.
Section 14
Selling your road data
Every Road Data Pro subscription includes access to the seller portal — a way to sell the anonymized road-impact data you're already collecting to DOT agencies, road construction companies, and insurers. Open it anytime from Settings → Sell your road data.
Listing a dataset
1
Select sessions to list
The seller portal groups your synced events into driving sessions. Tap one or more sessions to bundle into a single dataset listing — each card shows miles, event count, and severity breakdown so you know what you're including.
2
Set your price
Enter a title, description, asking price, and minimum price (the lowest offer you're willing to accept). The portal shows a live preview of your net payout after Road Data's platform fee before you submit.
3
Connect a payout account
First-time sellers are prompted to connect a payout account via Stripe — a short, Stripe-hosted signup where you enter your own banking details directly with Stripe. Road Data never sees or stores your bank information.
4
List it
Once submitted, your dataset appears in the public marketplace immediately and shows up under the "My Listings" tab.
Managing sessions before you list
If a session shouldn't be included in a listing — a personal errand, a route you'd rather not share, or data that looks wrong — tap the 🗑️ icon on that session card to permanently delete it before listing. This removes the underlying events entirely, not just from the listing screen.
Responding to offers
Buyers can either pay your asking price directly or submit an offer below it. Offers appear under the Offers tab, where you can:
- Accept — the buyer is immediately able to complete payment at that price
- Counter — propose a different price back to the buyer
- Decline — end the negotiation
Getting paid
| Platform fee | 20% of the sale price — you keep 80% |
|---|
| Escrow hold | Typically 24 hours after payment (72 hours for sales of $200+), then automatically released to your connected account |
|---|
| Payout method | Directly to your bank via Stripe — same account you connected when listing your first dataset |
|---|
Funds are held briefly in escrow after a sale so both sides have a short window to flag a problem before the payout is final. You'll get a notification when funds are released. Questions about a specific payout? Contact support@roaddata.tech.
Tip
You only need to connect your payout account once — after that, listing new datasets is just select, price, and submit.
Section 15
Buying road data
Anyone can browse and purchase road-impact datasets — no Road Data driver subscription required. The buyer marketplace is a separate account type from your driver account.
Creating a buyer account
From the app's home screen, tap Create/Login Data Buyer Account, or go directly to roaddata.tech/buyer.html. Registration asks for your name, company (optional), email, password, and how you plan to use the data — this is a free account with no subscription fee.
Finding data
Use the state filter to narrow listings to a specific state, and sort by newest, price, event count, or miles covered. Tap any listing to see a preview: sample events, date range, severity breakdown, and total events included before you buy.
Purchasing a dataset
- Buy Now — pay the seller's asking price and complete checkout immediately
- Make Offer — propose a lower price with an optional message; the seller can accept, counter, or decline. If accepted, you'll get a "Complete payment" button to finish the purchase at the agreed price
Payment is handled securely by Stripe — Road Data never sees or stores your card details. Funds are held in escrow for a short window after purchase so any issue with the delivered data can be flagged before the seller is paid. Problem with a purchase? Contact support@roaddata.tech.
Getting your data
After a successful payment, open 📦 My Purchases from the marketplace header at any time to download what you've bought — available in both CSV and GeoJSON formats. If a purchase still shows as processing, check back shortly; if a payment attempt was never actually completed, that's shown clearly rather than left as a false "pending" state.
Managing your buyer account
Use ⚙️ Account Settings in the marketplace header to update your company info, email, or password. Use Sign out to leave your buyer account, or Forgot password? on the sign-in screen if you need a reset link.
If something's wrong with your data
Open a dispute directly from the offer/purchase thread if the delivered data doesn't match what was listed. Road Data support reviews disputes and responds to both parties, typically within 24 hours.