The high cost of fuel is causing more motorists to run out of petrol, the AA said today.
In recent weeks, as many as 20 per cent of drivers have gone past, or very close to, the empty mark, with miscalculations mainly caused by drivers failing to realise how little petrol their money was now buying. And running out of petrol or diesel is not only inconvenient - it can also cost a hefty repair bill.
It results in dirt in the bottom of the fuel tank being sucked up into your engine.
Younger drivers have been most likely to run on empty, an AA/Populus poll of 12,000 AA members showed.
Not being able to find cheaper fuel, thinking they could reach their destination and not having enough money were also reasons given for running out of petrol.
Regionally, drivers in Northern Ireland (35 per cent) and north west England (22 per cent) were most likely to run out of petrol.
AA president Edmund King said: “The high cost of fuel over the last 12 months means that more drivers have been running on empty. This week’s record rebound in the price of oil raises the spectre again.
“Drivers need to remember that £40-worth of fuel will get them one third less distance than it did the same time last year.
“Drivers running on fumes need to remember that a breakdown in the middle of nowhere could turn out more costly than a few litres of fuel - particularly if a car is towed away to a safer location by a road authority firm, costing as much as £150.”
Mark Davies, of JR Davies & Son Ltd, Cantlop Garage, Condover, near Shrewsbury, said: “I can’t say I’ve noticed any increase in people running out of fuel.
“Most motorists in rural areas are bright enough to keep their tanks well topped up because filling stations are now so few and far between.”
Mr Davies said it was not wise practice to run fuel levels so low that the warning light came on. “There is so much gunge in fuel nowadays, particularly in diesel, that running your tank dry or nearly dry can cause all sorts of problems.
“When you fill up an empty tank, it stirs up the dirt on the bottom which can then be sucked up through your fuel pipes and block the filters. I reckon it’s best to fill up when your gauge shows about a quarter full.”
By Peter Johnson
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