A new national study by the AAA finds that nearly 70 percent of U.S. motorists who expect to hit the road this summer are concerned about poor road conditions or excessive congestion. While this latest survey claims 56 percent of Americans still plan to travel by vehicle to reach their summer vacation destinations only one in five believe our roads currently are in good shape. Of the 1,006 adult drivers who responded to the AAA’s national telephone study, 48 percent directly complained about the increasing frequency of overcrowding while 36 percent cited a concern that the overall condition of roads and bridges has become unsafe.
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“Bad roads and traffic gridlock can make summer travel unpleasant and costly for U.S. drivers,” noted Jill Ingrassia, AAA Managing Director of Government Relations & Traffic Safety Advocacy, who pointed out that poorly maintained roads now cause some $3 billion annually in vehicle damage. In addition to spending an average of $300 to cover repairs from potholes, drivers also are burning through an extra $960 per year in non-productive time and wasted fuel. According to the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, traffic delays cost a collective 7 billion hours sitting in traffic during which over 3 billion gallons of fuel were consumed. Ingrassia anticipates these figures will rise in the coming years.
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“This survey shows that drivers are frustrated with the condition of our roads and bridges,” Ingrassia said. “We also know that while low gas prices are getting people back behind the wheel this summer, bad roads can hit them hard in the pocket.”
