A national AAA study has found that potholes caused about $15 billion in vehicle repairs over the past 5 years.
The study also found about two-thirds of respondents were concerned about potholes and the cost the vehicle owner bears to fix a damaged car.
AAA's Nick Jarmusz talks about the average vehicle repair cost....
"....it can cost about $300 dollars, but it could be significantly less than that or more than that, depending on what exactly your vehicle sustains...."
Jarmusz says a bent rim will cost much less than suspension damage, but both are caused by potholes. He says the survey found people with lower and moderate incomes were more concerned about the condition of the roads. He says over the past five years, 16 million people have sustained vehicle damage. Jarmusz says the damage is costing around $3 billion dollars each year. He says both the federal and state taxes on fuel have largely been frozen while construction costs have risen, meaning repairs for motorists are rising...
".....while construction costs have continued to go up year after year, the amount of revenue collected, especially when you consider the higher efficiency vehicles that have come on the market, people are putting the same amount of wear and tear on the roads but but paying less and less in gas taxes...."
Jarmusz says one way to help protect against damage is to maintain proper air pressure in tires.
