Policy Briefing: Roadworthiness and Taxpayer Costs

For decades, policymakers, pundits, pedestrians, and drivers have expressed concern about the state of the nation’s roads. Despite more than $100 billion in transportation spending authorized by the $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure bill, crumbling pavements, potholes, and deteriorating bridges are a common sight and continue to pose risks to drivers. The state of America’s roads is a pressing issue that affects millions of people daily. Years of heavy use, harsh weather conditions, and insufficient maintenance have taken their toll, resulting in deteriorating infrastructure. Potholes and uneven surfaces have become a frustrating reality for drivers, leading to increased vehicle wear and tear, decreased fuel efficiency, and a higher likelihood of accidents.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, state and local governments are striving to find cost-effective solutions to address deteriorating road conditions. However, road repairs and improvements require significant expenditures as taxpayers are already facing historically high bills and debt loads. To remedy this issue, states are increasingly refining rules for what qualifies as “state legal” vehicles. By specifying which vehicles can be driven on public roads, states aim to reduce the strain on their budgets and extend the lifespan of existing infrastructure. This approach has involved assessing the evidence on which types of vehicles are the most likely to impose external costs on taxpayers and drivers and fine-tuning rules to reflect this evidence. Resulting policies often focus on factors such as weight restrictions, vehicle dimensions, and tire specifications.

While some have conflated these street-legal rules with regulations on private industry, roadworthiness rules reduce the size and scope of government. If roads are mostly owned by state and local governments, policymakers must properly administer them and prevent wear-and-tear and accident costs from exacting a large toll on taxpayers. Private operators of roads can – and do – enact similar standards, and the result is keeping costs low and enabling an efficient stream of commerce. Below, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance surveys some of these “street-legal” rules and concludes that federal policymakers should continue to empower states and localities to keep costs low for taxpayers, drivers, and pedestrians.