What do I do if my car runs out of fuel?

Date posted: February 5, 2013

Each year, thousands of motorists are left stranded on the side of the road because they ran out of fuel. Although it’s straightforward enough to keep topped up, it’s incredibly common and deceptively easy to run out of fuel, all because you’ve forgotten to top up or you thought your vehicle would last the duration of your journey. We’ve put together some top tips on what to do if you’re ever out and about and you’re low on fuel.

Precautions

As a general rule, you should always aim to keep at least a quarter of a tank of fuel in your car to avoid running out. That way, you’ll always have enough fuel to get you to the nearest petrol station.

Running low

As soon as your gas light illuminates on your dash board, you’ll know it’s time to time to hit the petrol station. Depending on the model of you car, the light indicates that there are low gas levels and that the car is running on reserves, which will usually carries a driver for an additional 25 miles.

If there isn’t a petrol station in sight in and you really don’t think you’ll make it, pull off to the side of the road and turn on your hazard lights. If you’re on a busy road then try to pull onto a side road or street where there is less traffic. Remain inside the car, especially on busy roads and in unfamiliar areas.

Once you’re settled in a safe place, call a family member or friend to assist you. Inform them of your exact whereabouts so that they know where you are before they set off to help you, just in case your mobile phone happens to run out of battery or you’re non-contactable for some reason.

Make sure that all your passengers are comfortable while waiting for help; give them any blankets, food and extra supplies that you may have in order to ensure they’re relaxed.

If someone approaches you outside your vehicle then wind your window down to respond to him or her, but don’t exit the vehicle.

Breakdown assistance

If you’re stranded at the side of the road and have a policy with Rescuemycar, you can call the breakdown helpline for roadside assistance.

As one of the UK’s largest networks of breakdown specialists, Rescuemycar will go above and beyond to make sure you’re safely recovered.

If you’re not currently covered and would like to know more about our breakdown cover policies, please don’t hesitate to contact us.