Recently, a report was released by a national transportation research group called Trip. According to this report, 56% of major roads in the Detroit, Michigan urban are are in poor condition. The report also showed that these road conditions are costing Detroit area drivers an average of $866 each year in additional motor vehicle operating costs. Among all of the large urban areas in the country (500,000+ population), the Detroit urban area ranks fourth for percentage of roads in bad condition, behind San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, California, and Concord, California. In addition to ranking poorly for percentage of roads in bad condition, Detroit ranks sixth in the annual costs to motorists of driving on rough roads.
'This report from TRIP validates what drivers already suspect -- that the state’s roads are among the roughest in the nation,' said Denise Donohue, director of the County Road Association of Michigan. 'To improve the conditions of the state’s roads will require additional funding from the state legislature and Congressional approval of a long-term, adequately funded, federal surface transportation program.'
Each year people are injured or killed on Michigan roads and highways due to poor road quality and conditions. Bad road conditions that contribute to auto accidents can include confusing, damaged, or missing signs, unsalted roads during the winter, lack of traffic signals, pot holes, uneven shoulders, lack of light during the nighttime, crumbling asphalt, and much more. According to the report, more than a quarter of the nation's major urban roads are rated in substandard or poor condition, providing motorists with rough rides and increasing the cost of operating a vehicle.
If you are injured in a car or motorcycle accident caused by poor road quality or conditions, contact a lawyer at The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our accident attorneys specialize in all types of auto accident lawsuits. Call 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation today.