New data from AAA found that in 2021 one in ten drivers sustained vehicle damage significant enough to warrant a repair after hitting a pothole.
With an average price tag of almost $600 per repair, damage caused by potholes in 2021 added up to a staggering $26.5 billion, according to AAA.
Potholes can wreak havoc on a vehicle's tires, alignment, suspension and shocks. In the winter and spring of 2021, AAA responded to 1.8 million tire-related roadside assistance calls. While AAA does not identify if a roadside assistance request is the result of pothole damage, this number represented 11 percent of the total calls received in the winter and spring last year.
As states receive an influx of funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, AAA urges government officials and departments of transportation to focus on improving road conditions, prioritizing those areas most in need of repair.
“In many parts of the country, winter roads will likely give way to pothole-laden obstacle courses,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of automotive engineering. “When a vehicle hits a pothole with any kind of force, the tires, wheels and suspension get the brunt of the impact and fixing any of those items is pricey.”
