Blocking the road or careless driving due to running out
of fuel or EV charge could land drivers in trouble with the
police
Drivers are putting themselves and others at risk by
running on empty
“The AA’s website has plenty of tips to help you drive
efficiently”
Drivers can be fined for running out of fuel or electrical
charge. 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 12,500 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, under current
legislation, drivers can be fined a minimum of £100 and three
penalty points if their car obstructs the road because of an
avoidable breakdown, or if running out of fuel or electric charge
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.*
Jack Cousens, AA head of road policy, said:
“There can be some genuine reasons for running out of fuel or
electric charge such as a faulty gauge, charging fault 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 or charge running low. Hence, we advise to always have at
least one-quarter of a tank of fuel or sufficient charge to
account for diversions if some chargers aren’t working.
“We 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 range
gambler by running on fumes or minimal charge.
“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 and the nearest
charging point.’
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.
Chris Wood, 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 or recharge before the 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 spotbut 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 six
years running.
Learn more at www.theaa.com.
*https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-drivers-and-motorcyclists-89-to-102
Route Planner | Directions,
traffic and maps | AA (theaa.com)
How to drive economically
- Eco-driving tips | AA (theaa.com)
The AA | Breakdown Cover,
Insurance, Route Planner
How to Reduce Your Car
Running Costs | AA (theaa.com)
