Car Repair Costs in the U.S. - What Are You Likely to Pay?Potholes are the lowly annoyance that in fact cause billions of dollars in vehicle damages and a large portion of highway deaths. Here is a run-down of pothole facts, news and views. According to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission of the U.S. Congress, the annual investment required by all levels of government to simply MAINTAIN the nation’s highways, roads, and bridges is now estimated to be $185 billion per year for the next 50 years. Today, the nation annually invests about $68 billion. The U.S. Congress passed in a rare bipartisan effort (late 2015) the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, which provides $233 billion for federal highway maintenance over five years. That’s $46 billion per year. Percent of roads ranked as “poor” Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana New York City-New Jersey *Source: Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) 2011 annual survey of state transportation officials, based on level of smoothness of pavement surfaces, as reported by TRIP, a national transportation research group (“Bumpy Roads Ahead: America’s Roughest Rides and Strategies to Make Our Roads Smoother,” 2013)

Pothole Economics – Funding and Costs Body Repair Prices, Auto Insurance and Inflation Honda Cautions that New Driver Assist/Safety Systems Require OE Parts Replacement Oklahoma Attorney General Warns Consumers against Steering Three-Quarters of Vehicles Sold in 2035 Expected to Have Autonomous Capability Manufacturers Now Need Permit to Test Autonomous Vehicles in California Denver Police Work with Collision Repair Shops to Solve Hit and Runs State Farm Projects Deer Collisions Up 3 Percent Living Off-The-Grid: Energy Self-sufficient Home Powers a Honda Fit EV New Website: Educating Consumers About Collision Repair and Their Rights New Mexico Enacts Ban on Texting While Driving Women’s Industry Network Calls For 2014 Board Applicants IHS Automotive Forecasts 54 million Self-Driving Cars Used Globally by 2035 Distracted Driving Survey Shows Mature Drivers Catching Up on Phone Usage Survey: Drivers Are Receptive to Usage-Based Auto Insurance

Alcoa Breaks Ground on $275 Million Auto Aluminum Expansion NY Governor Signs Counterfeit Airbag Law Study: No Matter How You Slice it, Americans Driving Less Rhode Island Governor Signs Total Loss Bills Automaker Poll Shows Consumer Concerns About Self-Driving Cars U.S. Department of Transportation Releases Policy on Automated Vehicles NY Counterfeit Airbag Proposal Moves Forward in SenateIvory And Blue Shower Curtain The Driving Boom is OverHardwood Flooring With Red Oak Cabinets Connecticut Senate Approves Counterfeit Airbag BillNikon Coolpix Digital Camera Price Are Cell Phones to Blame for Increasing Crash Rates Minnesota House Passes Bill Making Paint and Materials Taxable

NHTSA Says 660,000 Drivers Using Mobile Devices at any Given Moment Google Shows Consumer Interest in Body Shops 2013 Car Insurance Rates by State Maryland Holds Hearing on Counterfeit Airbag Bill Maryland Bills Would Make Deductible Rebates Insurance Fraud NICB Reports Sandy Damaged Vehicles Surpass 250,000 Mark Bill Proposes Minimum Damage Before Total Loss Rhode Island Bill Proposes Minimum Damage Before Total Loss Iowa Senator Introduces Bill Proposing Study of Direct Repair Programs IIHS Study Shows Red Light Cameras Reduce Accidents U.S. DOT Proposes Broader Use of Vehicle Event Data Recorders Study Shows High-Strength Steel Most Cost-Effective for Lightweighting Enterprise Brand Entering Retail Car-Sharing Market PA Governor Signs Strong New Chop Shop Law Roadways May Soon Glow in the Dark to Reduce Accidents Progressive Expects Most Hurricane Sandy Cars to be Total Losses NY Appellate Court Issues 'Monumental' Steering Decision

Deer Hit Frequency up Almost 8 Percent, Cost Up 4.4 Percent U.S. DOT Looking for Answers to Enforce Texting Laws Safety Advisory: NHTSA Counterfeit Air Bag Consumer Alert Honda Develops New Welding Technology, UHSS Structure for New Accord End of Session Attack on Auto Insurance Regulations BASF Says Automotive Color Trend Moving Towards Nature Washington DC Drivers Most Accident Prone PCI Offers Solutions to Curb Towing and Storage Abuses Connected Vehicle Pilot Gearing Up for Launch Energy Dept Invests in Lighter, Stronger Materials Development to Improve Fuel Economy Congress Passes National Graduated Driver's Licensing Standards Europe To Lead Pay as You Drive Insurance with 44 Million Subscribers by 2017 Aluminum Car Bodies Coming To American Manufacturers Future Headlights May Project Beams Around the Rain Drops American Honda will, from time to time, place collision industry magazine articles at this site addressing news, issues, and trends that could be of interest to consumers.

These articles are offered as informational only, reprinted as found in various collision industry magazines, and do not necessarily represent the position or opinion of American Honda. Thursday, February 20, 2014 The most recent government figures on inflation through December 2013, show the cost of auto insurance increased 3.34 percent versus 2012. Auto insurance prices started the year 4.93 percent higher in January 2013 than 2012 and increased to 5.22 percent higher in February 2013 versus the same period in 2012. Since then, however, the rate of increase, when compared each month to the same month a year previous, has declined. The consumer price for auto body work climbed at a fairly uniform pace throughout the year with the overall increase for auto body work recorded in December at 2.12 percent above the same period in 2012. Overall inflation, as represented by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items rose 1.50 percent over the past twelve months to December 2012.

The Inflation Comparison chart below shows the relative percentage increase of body work, auto insurance and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) All Items over the past 12 months. Looking at the chart of relative inflation, the consumer price of body work ended the past 12 month period slightly ahead of overall inflation. The overall CPI number is intended to represent all goods and services purchased for consumption from over 200 categories. The inflation index for body work now stands at 273.5, compared to 233.0 for CPI and 428.6 for auto insurance. The baseline period is 1982-1984. The average month over month increase for bodywork over the past year has been 0.18 percent while the overall CPI figure has increased at an average monthly rate of 0.12 percent. The price of auto insurance increased an average of 0.28 percent each month over the past year. The chart below shows the cumulative price increases represented by all three indices since Jan 2009. Overall CPI has risen 10.37 percent, body work 11.05 percent, and auto insurance is up 22.04 percent over the past four years.