Photo of crumbling road courtesy of AAA.

Photo of crumbling road courtesy of AAA.

About 70% of drivers traveling this summer are concerned about poor road conditions or traffic congestion, according to a new survey from AAA.

The survey revealed that 56% of U.S. consumers will be hitting the road for a summer vacation, but only one in five thinks the roads are in great driving condition.

Some top concerns for drivers planning a road trip this summer are too much traffic congestion (48% of drivers) and unsafe roads and bridges (36% of drivers).

“Bad roads and traffic gridlock can make summer travel unpleasant and costly for U.S. drivers,” said Jill Ingrassia, AAA managing director of government relations and traffic safety advocacy. “This survey shows that drivers are frustrated with the condition of our roads and bridges.”

Over the past five years, AAA found that damaged roads have resulted in $15 billion in vehicle repairs, or approximately $3 billion annually. What’s more, according to the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, traffic delays have kept drivers on the road for nearly 7 billion extra hours and caused them to waste more than 3 billion gallons of fuel.

“Americans rely on our nation’s roads and bridges every day and it is important that they are safe,” Ingrassia said. “Last year Congress made great strides by passing a five-year transportation bill, but an estimated $170 billion per year in additional funding is still needed to significantly improve America’s crumbling roads and bridges.”

AAA completed a telephone survey of two national probability samples (landline only and cell phone). The total sample size consisted of 1,006 adults living in the continental U.S. Interviewing for the survey was conducted April 28-May 1 of this year. This study has an average statistical error of ±3.1% at the 95% confidence level for all U.S. adults, AAA said.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

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