Poor road conditions are costing Americans big — an average of $1,400 annually in operating costs and lost time, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.Hearst Television's National Investigative Unit is unpacking how bad road conditions can impact your car and your wallet.Surveying the first line of defense MOTOR, a data firm partly owned by Hearst, is a library of automotive information. It connects every aspect of the automotive ecosystem by providing customized data that supports manufacturers, repair shops, fleets, technology providers, etc. With that data, they can then provide their customers with valid and accurate automotive information. Basically, MOTOR’s data is used to keep automobiles running safely and effectively on the road. Partnering with MOTOR, the National Investigative Unit set out to determine the extent to which poor road conditions are negatively impacting our vehicles by polling hundreds of car repair shops and service centers across the country. "They have a unique position … they’re the first line of defense because they’re the first folks people turn to," said the vice president of marketing for MOTOR Information Systems, Stephen Carroll. "Connecting with them would give us some insights that we may not normally get."Not surprisingly, the most common problem shops see due to bad road conditions has to do with tires. Of those polled, 84% said they see tire issues mostly, followed by suspension parts and alignment issues. When it comes to addressing a repair, shops say motorists are spending up to $1,000 each year thanks to problems caused by poor road conditions.Carroll confirms that 68% of surveyed repair shops have observed a stark increase in repairs. In the responses, there were some interesting comments as well. Some shops, states apart, even had the same sentiments.“When you think about some of the factors that are going into the automotive market today, parts are in short supply. The complexity of vehicles is increasing. You're getting vehicles on the road that are heavier,” said Carroll. “Without any change to the infrastructure, those factors would continue to drive this cost up, which is in the billions of dollars.”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Finding the hidden damage But the damage isn’t always visible. Hidden issues often wreak havoc. Those can be detected with innovative technology, like UVeye: Automatic Vehicle Inspection.Just like we get MRIs to detect problems in our bodies, this system is “an MRI for your car,” according to John Butkovich, the fixed operations manager for the Feldman Automotive Group, which owns and operates more than 21 dealerships across the country. Within 30 seconds of driving through it, the UVeye uses several different high-definition cameras to take hundreds of photos, giving you and the service technician a 360-degree view of your vehicle. It then spits out an evaluation, detecting even the smallest anomalies and damages.“One of the biggest advantages of having a tool like this is the transparency. When you bring your vehicle in for service, we can share with you all of the ins and outs of your vehicle from the exterior,” says Butkovich.It can detect issues like dents, scratches, tire tread wearing, tire damage, fluid leaks, alignment problems, etc. All things that can create a snowball effect if they’re not addressed and you hit another pothole. “You can have leaking shocks, leaking struts, broken springs, broken control arms,” said Butkovich. “What ends up happening is, if anything is not maintained, it's going to eventually crumble and fall apart.”Inspired by the topic, Butkovich and Feldman Auto dug into their own data, finding that at least one out of every seven cars that come through the doors at their shops need some sort of alignment. That can be a problem for others out on the road, too. Depending on how badly the alignment issue is, Butkovich says hitting a pothole could cause that vehicle to get pulled into another lane. Compared to a few years ago, Butkovich says there’s been an increase in people coming in with car issues due to poor road conditions. “We have a third-party warranty company that we utilize, and over the last three years, they have spent $1.7 million in tire and wheel claims alone. That does not include any of the actual repairs on the vehicle," he said.Butkovich knows the issues that can come from bad roads. From being on the management side and being a mechanic, he’s been in the business for 41 years. When asked why this is a continued passion for him, his response: “Helping somebody, whether it's through teaching, whether it's through getting somebody's car repaired correctly, doing it at a fair price for them, seeing the smile at the end of the day.”PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4KThis story was shot and edited by National Investigative Photojournalist Reid Bolton. Data analysis and visuals by Data Visualization Journalist Katrina Ventura.
LIVONIA, Mich. — Poor road conditions are costing Americans big — an average of $1,400 annually in operating costs and lost time, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Hearst Television's National Investigative Unit is unpacking how bad road conditions can impact your car and your wallet.
Surveying the first line of defense
, a data firm partly owned by Hearst, is a library of automotive information. It connects every aspect of the automotive ecosystem by providing customized data that supports manufacturers, repair shops, fleets, technology providers, etc. With that data, they can then provide their customers with valid and accurate automotive information. Basically, MOTOR’s data is used to keep automobiles running safely and effectively on the road.
Partnering with MOTOR, the National Investigative Unit set out to determine the extent to which poor road conditions are negatively impacting our vehicles by polling hundreds of car repair shops and service centers across the country.
"They have a unique position … they’re the first line of defense because they’re the first folks people turn to," said the vice president of marketing for MOTOR Information Systems, Stephen Carroll. "Connecting with them would give us some insights that we may not normally get."
Not surprisingly, the most common problem shops see due to bad road conditions has to do with tires. Of those polled, 84% said they see tire issues mostly, followed by suspension parts and alignment issues.
When it comes to addressing a repair, shops say motorists are spending up to $1,000 each year thanks to problems caused by poor road conditions.
Carroll confirms that 68% of surveyed repair shops have observed a stark increase in repairs.
Finding the hidden damage
But the damage isn’t always visible. Hidden issues often wreak havoc. Those can be detected with innovative technology, like UVeye: Automatic Vehicle Inspection.
Just like we get MRIs to detect problems in our bodies, this system is “an MRI for your car,” according to John Butkovich, the fixed operations manager for the , which owns and operates more than 21 dealerships across the country.
Within 30 seconds of driving through it, the UVeye uses several different high-definition cameras to take hundreds of photos, giving you and the service technician a 360-degree view of your vehicle. It then spits out an evaluation, detecting even the smallest anomalies and damages.
“One of the biggest advantages of having a tool like this is the transparency. When you bring your vehicle in for service, we can share with you all of the ins and outs of your vehicle from the exterior,” says Butkovich.
It can detect issues like dents, scratches, tire tread wearing, tire damage, fluid leaks, alignment problems, etc. All things that can create a snowball effect if they’re not addressed and you hit another pothole.
“You can have leaking shocks, leaking struts, broken springs, broken control arms,” said Butkovich. “What ends up happening is, if anything is not maintained, it's going to eventually crumble and fall apart.”
Inspired by the topic, Butkovich and Feldman Auto dug into their own data, finding that at least one out of every seven cars that come through the doors at their shops need some sort of alignment. That can be a problem for others out on the road, too. Depending on how badly the alignment issue is, Butkovich says hitting a pothole could cause that vehicle to get pulled into another lane.
Compared to a few years ago, Butkovich says there’s been an increase in people coming in with car issues due to poor road conditions.
“We have a third-party warranty company that we utilize, and over the last three years, they have spent $1.7 million in tire and wheel claims alone. That does not include any of the actual repairs on the vehicle," he said.
Butkovich knows the issues that can come from bad roads. From being on the management side and being a mechanic, he’s been in the business for 41 years. When asked why this is a continued passion for him, his response: “Helping somebody, whether it's through teaching, whether it's through getting somebody's car repaired correctly, doing it at a fair price for them, seeing the smile at the end of the day.”
This story was shot and edited by National Investigative Photojournalist Reid Bolton. Data analysis and visuals by Data Visualization Journalist Katrina Ventura.
