Source: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Driving on rough roads costs the average American motorist about $400 per year in extra vehicle operating costs because of accelerated vehicle deterioration, increased maintenance, additional fuel consumption, and tire wear caused by poor road conditions, according to Rough Roads Ahead: Fix Them Now or Pay for It Later, a report released last week by AASHTO and TRIP.

The report uses the latest government statistics to show pavement conditions in all 50 states and vehicle operating costs by state and urban areas. The report also finds that:

• 30 to 60 percent of the roads in the nation’s largest urban areas are in poor condition;
• Thirty-six percent of the roads in the Detroit urban area are in poor condition compared to the Los Angeles area and surrounding communities, which have 64 percent of their roads in poor condition;
• Sixty-one percent of rural roads are in good condition;
• Seventy-two percent of the Interstate Highway System is in good condition, but age, weather conditions, and burgeoning traffic are eroding ride quality.

The report points out that traffic growth has far outpaced highway construction, particularly in major metropolitan areas.  The number of miles driven in this country jumped more than 41 percent from 1990 to 2007--from 2.1 trillion miles in 1990 to 3 trillion in 2007. In some parts of the country, dramatic population growth has occurred without a corresponding increase in road capacity, placing enormous pressure on roads that, in many cases, were built 50 years ago. To view a copy of the full report, go to roughroads.transportation.org