Michigan Drivers Pay $5.9 Billion Each Year Due to Poor Road Conditions

Rough roads drain $5.9 billion from Michigan drivers each year, revealed in a 2024 study from TRIP. TRIP is a nonprofit that tracks surface transportation problems. The typical driver shells out $758 per year in extra costs.

Forty percent of major roads sit in poor or mediocre shape. Detroit drivers get hit hardest, losing $1,148 per year. Flint drivers lose $1,136. Grand Rapids drivers lose $898.

Temperatures will soon swing above and below freezing. This creates perfect conditions for potholes, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. Moisture sneaks underneath pavement and freezes. The ground swells. The pavement gets pushed up. That's how potholes start.

When warmth returns, the ground drops back down. A gap opens up between the pavement and the ground. The pavement has no support underneath anymore. It cracks. It breaks. A hole appears.

MDOT runs an online system where drivers can report potholes by marking the spot and describing size, depth, and danger. Drivers can also call 888-296-4546 to report potholes on state roads.

The department suggests ways to protect tires. Stay alert. Don't follow too close so you have more time to see and react to bad road conditions. Keep tires inflated correctly, and check suspension and steering parts to help cushion the blow when you hit a pothole.

If drivers see a pothole coming and can't safely steer around it, they should slow down first. Then straighten the wheel to hit it head-on. Release the brakes and roll through. This method cuts down speed at impact and lets the suspension absorb the shock better.

AAA suggests inspecting your car after hitting a pothole. Look for obvious damage, listen for new sounds or shaking, check tire pressure with a gauge, and get alignment and suspension checked if the car veers to one side.