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Blocking the road or careless driving due to running
out of fuel could land drivers in trouble with the
police
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Drivers are putting themselves and others at risk by
running on empty
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“The AA’s website has plenty of tips to help you save
fuel”
Drivers can be fined as a result of running out of fuel. The
warning comes from the UK’s largest breakdown organisation after
one of its members was fined by the police for causing an
obstruction after running out of fuel.
Last year, the AA attended more than 10,500 breakdowns where
members had run out of fuel or electrical charge – many of these
on motorways or fast-moving roads. The high fuel prices and the
cost-of-living crisis are thought to have contributed to this.
Whilst running out of fuel isn’t illegal in itself, under current
legislation, drivers can be fined a minimum of £100 and three
penalty points if their car obstructs the road as a result of an
avoidable breakdown, or if running out of fuel is deemed to
result in careless or dangerous driving. If a vehicle causing an
obstruction is found to be at fault for a collision, the penalty
can be more serious.
Rule 97 of The Highway Code states: Before
setting off. You MUST ensure –
that you have sufficient fuel for your journey, especially if
it includes motorway driving.*
Edmund King, AA president said: “There can be
some genuine reasons for running out of fuel such as a faulty
gauge or undetected fuel leak. On occasions cars may get stuck in
jams for hours due to bad winter weather or miles of disruption
leading to Channel ports which could result in running out of
fuel. Hence we advise to always have at least one quarter of a
tank of fuel. Likewise, some EV drivers might run low or out of
charge if several chargers aren’t working.
“One would hope that police officers would be reasonable in those
circumstances. But where drivers negligently run on fumes,
leaving themselves and others in danger on the road, the weight
of the law can be brought to bear on them. Don’t be a fuel
gambler by running on fumes.
“Most of the out-of-fuel cases the AA sees are a result of driver
misjudgement, and the police have the power to give a warning or
a penalty if it is deemed to be careless driving or causes an
obstruction. If you are running low, you can use the AA route
planner to find the closest and cheapest fuel.’
Fuel system damage
When a vehicle, especially a diesel, runs out of fuel, it can
lead to engine running faults further down the road. Modern
diesel fuel systems rely upon the lubricants contained within the
fuel to lubricate the surfaces of components such as the fuel
pump and injectors – once these have been run dry their surfaces
can become scored and cause issues weeks or months later.
Nick Powell, AA Patrol of the Year, said: “There
are some occasions when running out of fuel is totally
understandable such as a fuel gauge developing a fault
mid-journey, or the fuel tank has struck something in the road.
But the majority of cases that we see at the roadside are where
drivers have run out of fuel because they thought they could make
it home or to a cheaper filling station. Running out can leave
you in a potentially dangerous position.
“Many people are finding the cost-of-living crisis difficult, and
fuel costs do hit hard on the family budget. We know anecdotally
from our patrols that many people they rescue blame high fuel
prices and the temptation to fill up as infrequently as possible.
“Our website has plenty of tips on eco-driving showing
you can save an average of 10% by combining trips, removing
unused clutter and roof boxes from your car or driving more
smoothly by avoiding harsh acceleration. If you do find yourself
out of fuel or charge do your best to get the car to the side of
the road as safely as you can. If it’s away from the main traffic
flow, it will be less of an obstruction and less likely to
attract a fine.
“Our advice is simply not to chance it – being stuck at the
roadside is potentially very dangerous and inconvenient – so fill
up before the fuel warning light comes on. Adding the cost of a
fine to the family budget will only increase the financial strain
and can be avoided.”
If you do run out and you’re not a member of a breakdown
organisation, the AA will let you join on the spot but you
will pay an additional ‘will join’ fee on top of the cost of
breakdown cover. The fuel will be charged separately.
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The AA has been named Which? Recommended Provider for five
years running.
Learn more at www.theaa.com.
*https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-drivers-and-motorcyclists-89-to-102
