Pothole Patrol wins Rep. André Carson’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Indiana’s Seventh District

When asked what inspired the creation of Pothole Patrol, the students said, “The idea for Pothole Patrol came from the frustration we all shared while driving around Indianapolis. Nearly every day, we hit potholes that made the car shake and jump. Some were so deep they felt like craters, and others just never seemed to go away. What started as an everyday annoyance quickly turned into a real problem when we saw how much damage it was causing to our cars.

“One of us, Will Eaton, drives a 17-year-old car that’s been passed down through his family. Every time he hit a pothole, something seemed to go wrong:  the alignment, the suspension, or the tires. Each repair cost hundreds of dollars, which he paid for with his part-time job. Seeing that happen over and over made us realize that potholes affect more than just the road. They affect people’s wallets, especially for students, working families, and anyone driving older vehicles.

“As we paid more attention, we started to notice another issue. Some areas had smooth, newly paved streets, while others were full of neglected potholes that had been there for months. That uneven repair pattern felt unfair and revealed something bigger: how the quality of roads can depend on where you live. When certain neighborhoods wait longer for repairs, it creates real barriers for the people who live there, from higher car costs to trouble getting to work or school.

“That’s what pushed us to do something about it. We wanted to create a way for people to easily report potholes so the city could respond faster and more evenly. The problem wasn’t just fixing roads; it was collecting the data to know where those roads needed attention. Most people don’t have time to pull over, take pictures, and fill out a long online form, so we wanted to make it effortless.

That’s how Pothole Patrol was born, a simple voice-activated app that lets drivers say, ‘Hey Patch, report a pothole,’ and records the data automatically. Our goal is to help people like Will and thousands of other drivers avoid costly damage while giving every neighborhood a fair chance at safer, smoother roads.”