AAA Says Policymakers Failing to Connect with Motorists’ Practical Concerns

WASHINGTON, D.C., (April 25, 2013) – Sixty-two percent of U.S. motorists believe the federal government should invest more money to improve roadways, according to a recent public opinion poll conducted by AAA. The vast majority of drivers (81 percent) also believe the federal government should do more to improve the condition of roads and bridges.

“Most Americans recognize the need for increased transportation funding because they drive over potholes and bumpy roads every day,” said Robert L. Darbelnet, President and CEO of AAA. “Unfortunately, the main concerns voiced by motorists about transportation and driving differ markedly from the points generally expressed by policymakers to promote funding legislation.”

When asked for their concerns regarding transportation and driving their cars, issues identified by drivers included the reliability and safety of their car (34 percent) and the direct financial cost of driving (19 percent). Other major concerns included the behavior of other drivers (15 percent), safety/road accidents (15 percent) and the gas mileage/fuel efficiency of their vehicle (15 percent). According to AAA’s recently released ‘Your Driving Costs’ report, the average cost to own and operate a car this year rose 1.96 percent to 60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 per year, based upon 15,000 miles of annual driving.

“Policymakers and transportation advocates are failing to connect with the public on the practical concerns that matter most to motorists,” continued Darbelnet. “Motorists want to hear about how their elected officials can improve their daily commute by repairing the pothole down the street or the bumpy road around the corner.”

Nearly seven out of ten (68 percent) motorists believe the federal government should make “reducing congestion on the roads” a top transportation priority. Traffic jams and crowded roads waste billions of dollars a year in time and fuel, and causes significant frustration for many drivers. Federal transportation funding can support increased capacity and expanded roadways.

Motorists who feel that the federal government should increase taxes or fees to improve roadways support a number of options for increasing transportation funding, including:

• Replacing the per-gallon gas tax with a national gasoline sales tax (55 percent)
• Creating a new national sales tax dedicated to transportation (47 percent)
• Expanding the use of tolls to Interstate highways where tolls are not currently collected (47 percent)
• Creating a carbon tax on fossil fuels (45 percent)
• Replacing the federal gas tax with a per-miles-driven fee (37 percent)
• Creating an energy tax on all sources of energy (35 percent)
• Increasing the federal per-gallon gas tax (27 percent)

“The public seems very willing to examine innovative transportation methods to improve road quality,” continued Darbelnet. “AAA is dedicated to examining all funding options and educating policymakers on the need to fully fund improvements for America’s roads and bridges.”

Motorists overwhelmingly (83 percent) remain concerned about wasteful government spending on transportation. AAA has worked with Congress to implement reforms, such as eliminating earmarks, streamlining bureaucratic oversight and accelerating project development as part of Map 21, the recently passed federal transportation authorization law. AAA will continue to push for improved reforms to reduce wasteful spending as Congress debates transportation funding.

This report presents the findings of an omnibus telephone survey (654 landline and 354 cell phone) consisting of 1,008 adults (503 men and 508 women) living in the continental United States. A screener question identified 817 current motorists who were asked the remainder of the question list. The study has a 95 percent margin of error of ±4.0 percent.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.

(WASHINGTON, June 8, 2012) Today, President Obama once again cited the deteriorating condition of the nation’s infrastructure and the need for Congress to act to improve it.  As a nation, we’ve underinvested in transportation for years, resulting in a backlog of needs, poor conditions and a substantial funding gap.

The federal transportation program is a few short weeks away from expiring unless Congress can move quickly to demonstrate their ability to negotiate and work towards a long-term transportation bill that will meet the nation’s mobility and safety needs.  Transportation is not a partisan issue – it is time for Congress to act.

Learn more at MakingAmericaStronger.AAA.com

(WASHINGTON, May 9, 2012) Statement by AAA President & CEO Bob Darbelnet

“AAA urges Congress to move quickly through conference negotiations and pass a surface transportation reauthorization bill. New legislation is now more than two years overdue and states have delayed many necessary highway and infrastructure projects as a result. This bill is one of the most important laws that Congress can pass because it provides for safe, reliable and effective transportation for all Americans.

Additional Resources

• AAA letter to conference members

“Transportation has historically been a bipartisan issue, and we are encouraged that both chambers of Congress are coming together today to begin the process of negotiating a compromise bill. The House and Senate agree more than they disagree on transportation policy issues, and it is important to work together in a spirit of cooperation to resolve the few differences that remain.”

Bill is Step in the Right Direction for Safety of Nation’s Motorists

“AAA applauds Senate passage today of a two-year transportation authorization bill.  We appreciate the bipartisan collaboration that has led to legislation that incorporates many of the reforms, performance and accountability provisions that AAA and many in the transportation community have been calling for in recent years.  The public wants and needs safe and reliable mobility.  Few bills directly impact the entire fabric of the nation as does the transportation bill.  The pressure is now squarely on the House of Representatives to promptly address this critical legislation.”

Increase in Truck Size in House Transportation Bill is Troublesome

WASHINGTON, D.C., (February 1, 2012) – AAA opposes language in the U.S. House surface transportation authorization bill that allows for truck size and weight increases.  Citing a complete lack of current research and data, AAA is warning that moving ahead with this provision could have serious safety consequences for those traveling on our nation’s highways.

“With a nine percent increase in truck related fatalities in 2010, traffic safety is a significant concern,” said AAA Managing Director of Government Relations & Traffic Safety Advocacy, Jill Ingrassia.  Advocating on behalf of the safety of its 53 million members and road users nationwide, AAA is calling on Congress to strip this provision from the transportation bill.  “Additional research is required to demonstrate exactly how bigger and heavier trucks would impact traffic safety.  Absent this research, we cannot take the chance – there is simply too much at stake.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the additional cost of repairing bridge damage caused by raising truck weights to 97,000 pounds could cost as much as $65 billion.  “Far too often, terms like “structurally deficient” and “functionally obsolete” are used to describe our roadway system. Bigger and heavier trucks will impose greater damage to an already overburdened and neglected system.” said Ingrassia. 

To learn more about AAA’s efforts to support a national transportation authorization bill visit MakingAmericaStronger.AAA.com.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.

Leader of nation’s largest motoring organization discusses potential program reforms and funding options for the nation’s transportation system with panel of key federal legislators

(Washington, D.C. – 7/23/2009) AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet testified before the U.S. House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures today. He called on Congress to authorize increased spending on America’s roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure to address safety concerns as well as congestion, which limits personal mobility and the fluid movement of goods. Recognizing the potential benefits to motorists, and subject to a significantly restructured program that is performance based, Darbelnet said motorists will be willing to pay their fair share of the required investments.

“AAA understands the importance of a safe and efficient transportation system to our nation’s economic competitiveness, safety and quality of life,” said Darbelnet. “Unfortunately, after decades of neglect and under-investment, our transportation system falls well short of meeting our needs. Investing in transportation shouldn’t be considered a luxury.”

Darbelnet noted that, due to inflation and increasing fuel economy, many motorists are actually paying a lower tax per mile than they did when the federal gasoline tax was last increased in 1993.

The availability of more fuel efficient vehicles, combined with almost two decades of inflation, have nearly halved the tax motorists are paying for each mile traveled. “That means in many cases motorist are paying less today under the Obama administration, than they did when Ronald Reagan was president,” he said. “In the current economic downturn, every opportunity to save money is important. However, motorists have never shied away from carrying their fair share of the cost of America’s transportation infrastructure.”

The Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee heard from Members of Congress and a number of other industry stakeholders about the options for funding transportation over the long term. Darbelnet urged Congress to move forward with a multi-year transportation bill as quickly as possible.

“We can’t continue to put off the tough decisions, and we also can’t pretend that there is some painless new funding source to solve this serious problem. The time is now for urgent, proactive national leadership that effectively addresses our critical surface transportation funding challenges.”

A copy of Robert L. Darbelnet’s full written testimony can be found on the AAA NewsRoom at www.AAA.com/news.

For more information on AAA’s long-term vision and recommendations for the transportation system of the future, please visit AAA’s Making America Stronger Web site at MakingAmericaStronger.AAA.com

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.