Commuting on the region's congested and rotten streets and highways can take a toll on a driver's sanity. Sorry to pile on, but it can also take a toll on our cars. According to a new report by TRIP, a non-profit transportation research group, Los Angeles area drivers spend about an extra in $2,800 in gas and vehicle repairs.
TRIP looked at three factors that it says cost drivers extra money:
- Extra Vehicle Operating Costs, or VOC: Repair costs, tire wear, and vehicle depreciation due to "driving on rough roads"
- Safety: Crashes "in which roadway design was likely a contributing factor"
- Congestion: Extra fuel consumption due to congestion
Combined, the expenses associated with these three categories add up to $2,826 per year in extra costs to drivers in the LA, Long Beach, and Santa Ana area. Congestion alone accounts for the biggest share. The average cost of fuel wasted while stalled in traffic is $1,711 annually (and 80 hours of lost time).
TRIP rated an overwhelming 60 percent of LA’s streets as "poor" and a scant 9 percent as "good." Poor streets might be riddled with potholes, rutting or rough services, which, for example, can wear down tires, the report says.
- California transportation by the numbers [TRIP Report]
- LA's 101 Freeway Is America's 'Highway from Hell' [Curbed LA]
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