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Report: Poor Road Conditions Cost Average NJ Driver Nearly $2,000 A Year

EDISON, NJ (CBS) – With freezing temperatures and wear and tear on the roads, a few pot holes here and there can be expected, but according to a study released by TRIP, a national transportation research group, the roads in New Jersey are in such poor condition that they cost the average driver nearly $2,000 a year.

The research says that the roads and bridges that are deficient, congested and lack desirable safety features cost drivers a total of $11.8 billion annually.

The report also found that throughout the Garden State, more than one-third of major roads and highways are in poor condition.

When the study broke down the cost per driver, it determined that driving on the bad roads costs each driver $1,951 per year in terms of extra vehicle operating costs, as a result on driving on the poor roads, loss of time and fuel due to traffic-related delays, and the cost of crashes, in which road conditions were likely a contributing factor.

The report says a total of 35 percent of major roads in New Jersey are in poor condition, an additional 41 percent are in mediocre or fair condition and the remaining 24 percent are in good condition.

TRIP executive director, Will Wilkins says, "These conditions are only going to get worse if greater funding is not made available at the local, state and federal levels."

 

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