Nation's Motorists Pay an Additional $23.7 Billion a Year in Vehicle Repairs, Expenses to Drive on Bad Roads
26 February 1998
Nation's Motorists Pay an Additional $23.7 Billion a Year in Vehicle Repairs, Expenses to Drive on Bad Roads
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 -- As Congress begins consideration of
legislation to determine funding levels for our nation's road and bridge
system, motorists are paying an additional $23.7 billion a year in extra
vehicle operating costs to drive on roads in need of repair, a nonprofit
transportation research group based in Washington, D.C. reported today.
The Road Information Program (TRIP) calculates that extra vehicle
operating expenses cost each motorist about $132 a year in extra car repairs
and additional fuel expenses resulting from driving on substandard roads.
"As Congress makes decisions on how to best spend the budget surplus, they
should bear in mind that federal gasoline taxes paid by motorists were
intended for the purpose of making needed road and bridge repairs and highway
improvements," said William M. Wilkins, TRIP's executive director.
"Failure to make needed highway improvements and repairs hits motorists
right in their wallets," Wilkins said.
Wilkins explained that motorists pay 18.4 cents per gallon in federal
gasoline taxes every time they purchase a gallon of gasoline. That money goes
into the Federal Highway Trust Fund, where it is supposed to be used to make
needed repairs and improvements to our nation's roads and bridges. However,
the balance in the Trust Fund has been allowed to grow while needed road and
bridge repairs were not being made.
"For years, a large portion of the revenues from the federal gasoline tax
were used to mask the true size of the federal deficit," Wilkins continued.
"Now that we have a surplus, it's time to use that money as it was intended so
that we can reduce traffic congestion and make improvements to our highway
system that will help save lives."
Wilkins pointed out that about $24 billion in highway user fees paid by
our nation's motorists now sits in the Highway Trust Fund. At the same time,
the U.S. Department of Transportation has stated our nation has a $20 billion
annual shortfall just to maintain needed conditions.
"The balance in the Highway Trust Fund will continue to grow in the years
ahead unless Congress makes a commitment to spend these highway user fees as
intended," Wilkins said. "If they do not, then conditions will deteriorate
and motorists will continue to pay more out of their pockets for additional
vehicle repairs."
He said the extra vehicle operating expenses include excess tire wear,
increased fuel consumption and additional routine maintenance such as damage
to shock absorbers. TRIP's calculation is based on a Congressional Budget
Office report that the variable cost to operate vehicles is 29 percent higher
on roads in poor condition compared to driving on roads in good condition, and
11 percent higher on roads in fair condition.
TRIP's analysis of the latest data from the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) show that 59 percent of the nation's roads are in poor, mediocre or
fair condition. FHWA data also show that 31 percent of our nation's bridges
are either functionally obsolete or structurally deficient.
"As our nation's lawmakers determine how to spend our budget surplus, they
should give top priority to making needed highway improvements that could save
lives, reduce traffic accidents and fatalities and lessen the bite taken from
motorists wallets caused by extra vehicle repairs."
SOURCE The Road Information Program
