Drivers can win up to $500 for pothole repairs

Michigan motorists whose cars wind up in the repair or body shop due to bad roads have a chance to have their repairs reimbursed – up to $500 – by entering the Michigan Transportation Team’s Pothole Pocketbook Contest at justfixtheroads.com/contest. One randomly selected motorist each week through April 5 will win a check to cover the cost of pothole-related repairs.

“Michigan drivers are no strangers to pothole-strewn roads and the damage they cause,” said Mike Nystrom, executive vice president of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association and co-chair of the Michigan Transportation Team. “This contest will make things easier for four lucky motorists – but the only real way to reduce the high cost of bad roads is for the legislature to invest in transportation now, saving both money and lives.”

The average Michigan motorist pays $357 annually in unnecessary vehicle repairs due to poor roads, according to an April 2012 report by the national transportation research group TRIP. According to TRIP, bad roads in total cost Michigan drivers $2.5 billion per year in extra vehicle repairs.

The contest is open to all Michigan-licensed drivers aged 18 or older who have experienced vehicle repairs caused by bad roads in 2013. To enter, drivers must submit a photo or scan of their repair bill at justfixtheroads.com/contest along with providing the contact information of their mechanic or body shop to verify the repair. Drivers who submit a photo of their vehicle’s damage are eligible for a bonus entry in the contest. By submitting a photo of the pothole that led to the damage, drivers will earn a second bonus entry in the contest.

Details of the Pothole Pocketbook Contest are as follows:

• The Michigan Transportation Team will select one winner at random on March 15, March 22, March 29 and April 5.
• Each winner will receive a check for the cost of the repair, not to exceed $500.

Entrants are also encouraged to use the Contact Your Legislator tool available on the contest website to urge their state legislators to invest in transportation.

“Michigan residents want action to fix our roads,” added Nystrom. “Michigan’s road conditions cost drivers real money, which is why we’re giving people a chance to win back some of that money. Legislators could save Michigan drivers hundreds of dollars in repairs – and save lives by making roads safer – by investing in transportation and infrastructure now.”

For more information on the Pothole Pocketbook Contest, visit justfixtheroads.com/contest.