OKEMOS, Mich. – Michigan motorists can get a little revenge on potholes that have caused damage to their vehicles and their wallets by entering a Pothole Pocketbook Contest at justfixtheroads.com/contest to win up to $500 toward vehicle repair costs.

“Michigan’s extreme winter weather is breaking up our roads and bridges, and so is a continued decline in adequate funding,” said Lance Binoniemi, vice president of government affairs for the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA), which is sponsoring the contest. “This contest will help to make things easier for a few lucky motorists – but the only real way to reduce the high cost of bad roads for everyone is for the Legislature to invest in our roads and bridges now to save lives and money.”

Michigan motorists in key urban areas pay between $305-$536 annually in unnecessary vehicle repairs due to poor roads, according to a January 2014 report by TRIP, a national transportation research group. According to TRIP, bad roads cost Michigan drivers $2.3 billion per year in unnecessary vehicle repairs. If you also factor in additional costs related to congestion and safety, that figure rises to $7.7 billion per year.

The Pothole Pocketbook Contest is open to all Michigan-licensed drivers aged 18 or older, who have endured vehicle repairs caused by bad roads since January 2014. To enter, drivers must submit a photo or scan of their itemized repair bill at justfixtheroads.com/contest, along with the contact information of their mechanic or body shop to verify the repair. Drivers must also submit photos of their vehicle’s damage and (if possible) the specific pothole(s) they hit.

Entrants are encouraged to use the Contact Your Legislator tool available on the contest website to urge their state legislators to invest in transportation now. Other details of the Pothole Pocketbook Contest are as follows:

• MITA will announce winners on March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24 and March 31.
• Each winner will receive a check (not to exceed $500) to help cover the cost of their repairs.

MITA is a leading advocate for increased infrastructure funding in Michigan to save lives and money. For more information, visit www.mi-ita.com, or www.justfixtheroads.com.

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