Not that bad actually as thats what happened to me, all that happens is all the dash lights come on, and you start to slow down. Its very gradual and I managed to pull over from lane 3 to the hard shoulder without any trouble and was still travelling at a reasonable speed entering the hard shoulder.

Hi Mannyo,

I must mind the Ps and the Qs as I am talking to the 'brass hatted Briskoda staff member' as I won't want the new mods redding me, (grovel, grovel) but you may have been lucky on that occassion as you managed to pull over with nothing blocking your way, and with no lorry or bus coming up behind maybe.

But I have only let my fuel run out one time, and that was on a Christmas day, and not on a motorway.

In those days all garages shut for Christmas, but the AA organisation helped me even though I was not a member. I did however join them later. I am going back to around thrty five years ago. Agh, showing my age now.

SOVIET(booked my place in the Kremlin wall)

I think prosecution is a bit OTT.

As an alternative, maybe they should install whipping posts on all the copper-mounds and just give people the option of a sound public thrashing instead?

OK, people like Paul would always be running out of fuel, but it would be major disincentive to most people and in the words of the old bloke off of the telly "a major contribution to road safety"

The Highways Agency Stats show that this is one of the highest causes of breakdowns on a Motorway. It is completly avoidable.

But clearly many people need looking after, dressing in the morning ect.

The Motorway is a lethal enviroment and it is very distressing to clear up when someone has been killed or seriously injured due to stopping due to this type of event.

Reading some of the entries here it is sad to see so many ignorant drivers. when you drive you have responsibilties not least to ensure you vehicle is fit. You should not need a Law to ensure your safety. If you get hurt to these people it will be someone elses fault.

Your not fit to drive so your vehicle should be seized, along with your children, although these possibly wont be yours as if you cant fuel a car how will you know how to make babies!!!!!

The Highways Agency Stats show that this is one of the highest causes of breakdowns on a Motorway. It is completly avoidable.

But clearly many people need looking after, dressing in the morning ect.

The Motorway is a lethal enviroment and it is very distressing to clear up when someone has been killed or seriously injured due to stopping due to this type of event.

Reading some of the entries here it is sad to see so many ignorant drivers. when you drive you have responsibilties not least to ensure you vehicle is fit. You should not need a Law to ensure your safety. If you get hurt to these people it will be someone elses fault.

Your not fit to drive so your vehicle should be seized, along with your children, although these possibly wont be yours as if you cant fuel a car how will you know how to make babies!!!!!

As an addition to that, you would be able to find out from NICE twhere they lived and you could go round, tar and feather their pets and then burn down their house :grumpy:

Joking aside:

The Highways Agency Stats show that this is one of the highest causes of breakdowns on a Motorway.

You use the phrase "one of", what are the others?

It is completly avoidable.

No it is not completely avoidable. The seals went on my new fuel filter and led to it dumping fuel out of the car, how is that avoidable? I've known of cars with ruptured fuel tanks, again completely avoidable? What about if you are planning to stop at the next services and have 10 miles to go and 1/4 tank of fuel and then get stuck in a 10 hour tailback (been there done that) and run out - completely avoidable?

The Motorway is a lethal enviroment and it is very distressing to clear up when someone has been killed or seriously injured due to stopping due to this type of event.

But not for other events? :confused:

Reading some of the entries here it is sad to see so many ignorant drivers. when you drive you have responsibilties not least to ensure you vehicle is fit. You should not need a Law to ensure your safety. If you get hurt to these people it will be someone elses fault.

Your not fit to drive so your vehicle should be seized, along with your children, although these possibly wont be yours as if you cant fuel a car how will you know how to make babies!!!!!

Emotive twaddle! I bet you are one of those people who spouts on about "speed kills" and uses emotive terms for that. Let me guess, you're a womble too.....

People should be prosecute for this. IT CAUSES SUCH A BIG DANGER!!!

I have worked for the Ambulance serivce for 4 years and have lost count of RTC's i have attened due to cars in the hard shoulder have been hit from behind. The hard shoulder is for emergencys only!

If the person is so stupid to run out of fuel, they should be thankful they get a fine as they could have been a roadside death figurer.

Haven't read the entire thread, but there's already a perfectly adequate disincentive to not run out of fuel - it's a pain in the ****, no matter how wealthy you are.

Dave.

People should be prosecute for this. IT CAUSES SUCH A BIG DANGER!!!

I have worked for the Ambulance serivce for 4 years and have lost count of RTC's i have attened due to cars in the hard shoulder have been hit from behind. The hard shoulder is for emergencys only!

If the person is so stupid to run out of fuel, they should be thankful they get a fine as they could have been a roadside death figurer.

more emotive twaddle... you cant just assume someone runs out of fuel due to stupidity.

I did the other day on an A road - felt a right tw4t... courtesy car, on the phone ranting at the dealer... never looked at gauge.. stupid yes.

time before that I ran out gauge showingad 1/2 full on a hire car.. turns out the float had jammed... stupid. no.

have some perspective.

People should be prosecute for this. IT CAUSES SUCH A BIG DANGER!!!

I have worked for the Ambulance serivce for 4 years and have lost count of RTC's i have attened due to cars in the hard shoulder have been hit from behind. The hard shoulder is for emergencys only!

If the person is so stupid to run out of fuel, they should be thankful they get a fine as they could have been a roadside death figurer.

So running out of fuel on the motorway is not an emergency? Must remember that if it ever happens to me and just let it coast to a stop where it runs out

Why are people assuming that it is just stupidity that makes you run out? Or that it is a voluntary action?

What should I do if I get a puncture? That is avoidable.... Should that be a prosecutable offence? Far more dangerous than running out of fuel too.

also if you run out you pull all the crud through to the engine. one of my old cars was never the same after it ran out (trying to see how far it could do on a full tank). did have a spare can of fuel with me as i didnt want to be stranded.

more emotive twaddle... you cant just assume someone runs out of fuel due to stupidity.

I did the other day on an A road - felt a right tw4t... courtesy car, on the phone ranting at the dealer... never looked at gauge.. stupid yes.

time before that I ran out gauge showingad 1/2 full on a hire car.. turns out the float had jammed... stupid. no.

have some perspective.

So it was your own stupidity that caused you to run out of fuel on the first occasion - of that meant that you were stuck on a h/s then I can't see the problem with being slapped with a fixed penalty notise. Yes fuel gauges can break but not everytime.

The motorway is a dangerous place, and people are all too willing to stop where ever they bloody well feel like it - swapping drivers, taking a pee. It is dangerous.

So running out of fuel on the motorway is not an emergency? Must remember that if it ever happens to me and just let it coast to a stop where it runs out

It is totally unavoidable in most circumstances!! Ie, not an emergency when if you weren't such a tight ******* and fueled when you car was about to run out.

Do you know, I have read thought your post and I can see that you pretend to know a lot, but you really don't have a clue. Why do people think that the motorway is a fine place for tacho breaks and what ever?

You know, this is something that really gets to me. People are all too happy to stop on the hard shoulder for any reason at all, and it seems those same people are happy to laugh at the Highways Agency.

First fatal I had to deal with was caused by a miss use of the hard shoulder. Am I the only one that understands what F-A-T-A-L means?? That means someone (ie a loved one father/son/etc) died because another person stopped on the hard shoudler for no good reason. Being too much of a d1ck head to fill up at the last services isn't a good enough reason to stop on the hard shoulder, it is called thinking ahead.

You seem to think you know it all, but you really don't.

And it is all too easy for people to laugh at the Highways Agency, but it was nice to get a few boxes of chocolates and a thank you card from Jeremy Clarkson not too long ago when 'a waste of tax payer money HATO' pulled his family out of lane 3.

Pointing out the blantant danger of something does not mean 'more emotive twaddle' it means someone has a deeper understanding of the situation that you do.

You know, this is something that really gets to me. People are all too happy to stop on the hard shoulder for any reason at all, and it seems those same people are happy to laugh at the Highways Agency.

First fatal I had to deal with was caused by a miss use of the hard shoulder. Am I the only one that understands what F-A-T-A-L means?? That means someone (ie a loved one father/son/etc) died because another person stopped on the hard shoudler for no good reason. Being too much of a d1ck head to fill up at the last services isn't a good enough reason to stop on the hard shoulder, it is called thinking ahead.

You seem to think you know it all, but you really don't.

And it is all too easy for people to laugh at the Highways Agency, but it was nice to get a few boxes of chocolates and a thank you card from Jeremy Clarkson not too long ago when 'a waste of tax payer money HATO' pulled his family out of lane 3.

Pointing out the blantant danger of something does not mean 'more emotive twaddle' it means someone has a deeper understanding of the situation that you do.

Thank you Rob.

I just don't get why understand the danger of something is emotional twaddle.

I can't go into too much details of fatals etc, but it involved a lorry driver from a differnt country. It happened at about 3am, I was sat at work and just felt horrible with the knowledge that there was a sleeping family somewhere that had no idea their main bread winner was as flat as a pancake on a british motorway. This is why I get so agrivated by the sort of posts above.

People love mocking the HA, but with a bit more of an understanding I don't think so many people would. The emergency services find us an invaluable service, and I get so many people thanking me for my help, it is very rewarding.

But a few people get held up in a road closure and the country is going to the dogs.

I had a chat with a couple of Highways Agency guys at Meadowhall a few months ago and it really suprised me just how much responsibility they have and just how big an area these guys/gals have to cover. Since speaking with them I have a bit more of an understanding why they do what they do (ie. closing extra lanes in an accident if theres a spillage of oil etc).

There are too many people now-adays that just get in car and drive it until they are advised by the car that it needs something ie. Fuel light or audible buzzer or even a warning light of another kind.

My brothers ex-girlfriend bought a Ford Ka brand new and never got it serviced once, the 1st time it had one was when her brake indicator came on. I don't think its just stupidity running out of fuel but also a lack of understanding what all the dials/LED's/guages etc on the dashboard mean.

So it was your own stupidity that caused you to run out of fuel on the first occasion - of that meant that you were stuck on a h/s then I can't see the problem with being slapped with a fixed penalty notise. Yes fuel gauges can break but not everytime.

The motorway is a dangerous place, and people are all too willing to stop where ever they bloody well feel like it - swapping drivers, taking a pee. It is dangerous.

I appreciate that you are of limited intellect but at what point in my post does it mention me running out of fuel on a motorway and ending up on a hard shoulder?

I appreciate this thread is a multipage advert for govt recruitment policy and how by recruiting at the right "level" enables quick indoctrination to believe a socialist govt mantra but FFS try and see just how uncompromisingly inane you are being.

Or is it interesting that you see a "common" i.e frequently occuring issue and wish to convert this into an income stream.... are you on comission?

Guys, keep it civil please!

It is totally unavoidable in most circumstances!! Ie, not an emergency when if you weren't such a tight ******* and fueled when you car was about to run out.

Do you know, I have read thought your post and I can see that you pretend to know a lot, but you really don't have a clue. Why do people think that the motorway is a fine place for tacho breaks and what ever?

This thread is about fuel EE. I object to phrases like completely avoidable - that is a absolute term, why couldn't it have been written as you've just put it? ie in most circumstances.

You are of course right in your last para, I know so much less than you do, what with your vast driving experience and time on the job in the HATO control centre.

Did I say it was OK to take a tacho break? No. To stop for a pee break? No. As you say, it is for emergency use only. A breakdown, for whatever reason, is an emergency. Let me ask you this: would you rather people stopped on the hard shoulder or on the carriageway? The hard shoulder is a dangerous place, but it is a damned site safer than the carriageway.

My main objection is to non-police officers thinking they know more about the law than the police. You do realise that you can be fined for inappropriate use of the hard shoulder anway, don't you...... but only by a policeman.

Emily, have you considered the result of your proposed fixed penalty system - obviously it would have to have some sort of appeal system for those who broke down, at which point every scutter who ran out of fuel would lodge an appeal based on a mythical mech fault, all paid for by legal aid, that would waste even more police time, public money, and so on. the only ones who would pay without a fight would be the decent avg joe in the street - who to be fair is 99.99999% of the time aware enough to not run out of fuel.

As jon says the basic arguement is sound its the way you present it with sweeping statements and then exepct people not to pick holes in it....

and the offense of misuse of the hard shoulder exists. doesnt get used cos real traffic police are few and far between to enforce it.

Real police on the roads prosecuting people for bad driving does far more to focus the mind than camera's or wombles in large polluting 4x4s playing at traffic cops cos some one gave them a hi-vis and a walkie talkie. Yes they have a vaule in admin and assisting the police, but they could do 99% of that in a octavia scout why need a landcruiser/patrol/disco.. wonder if wombles pay the CC to go in london??? and why deck it out to imitate a police car.. its about as effective as the cardboard ones.. (you are prob too young to remember those).

I have to confess. I have run out of fuel on the motorway.....

whats worse is i did it on purpose! :eek:

Allow me to explain although i certainly dont condone what i did.

Id been working in Luton, my usual drive from manchester to luton gets done on a tank of fuel but for some reason i got upgraded to a citroen c5,

on the way home at about 10pm (id been up since about 5am) I missed my turning on the m1 for the m6 doh

Needed fuel so pulled over at the service station to get some, a direct debit had come out that morning and drained my current account of any cash, my savings account was accessible from the card but only from an abbey machine. I had a few options open to me. Find a local abbey bank to draw cash on my savings account, ring my dad to bring me some cash 100 miles or run out of fuel and call the AA.

I tried to find information to get me to an abbey account but couldnt.

I knew full well that anyone who brakes down on the m-way gets preferential treatment over A/B roads etc so i drove till i ran out of fuel and pulled over on the hard shoulder, well on the gravel after the hard shoulder and rang the AA who came within 15 mins, topped me up, drove me to an abbey account and sorted me out.

Its the only time ive ever ran out of fuel and i certainly wouldnt make the same mistake again.

I never told anyone of my stupidity either, until now. :(

sowwwie

I have to watch people die because of the sort of mistakes that are made.

I want some sort of deterent for running out of fuel on the motroway, something which is avoidable is most cases.

All I get it an infraction for pointing out that it is d1ck head behaivour to run out of fuel.

I have to watch people die because of the sort of mistakes that are made.

I want some sort of deterent for running out of fuel on the motroway, something which is avoidable is most cases.

All I get it an infraction for pointing out that it is d1ck head behaivour to run out of fuel.

But you refuse to accept the fact that it is NOT totally avoidable for some of the very reasons explained by some members above.

If you don't like watching these droves of people die, then get another job!

I think this thread has come to it's "end of life" as it's just going to head downhill, and personally, for what it's worth I think that Red Baron was being remarkably civil in his post

But you refuse to accept the fact that it is NOT totally avoidable for some of the very reasons explained by some members above.

If you don't like watching these droves of people die, then get another job!

I think this thread has come to it's "end of life" as it's just going to head downhill, and personally, for what it's worth I think that Red Baron was being remarkably civil in his post

:iagree:, on all 3 points.

I have to watch people die because of the sort of mistakes that are made.

I want some sort of deterent for running out of fuel on the motroway, something which is avoidable is most cases.

All I get it an infraction for pointing out that it is d1ck head behaivour to run out of fuel.

**** happens

after all, being human means that people make mistakes.

its quite often avoidable to break down, poor servicing, poor planning etc

If dealing with other peoples mistakes makes you upset then finding a life without mistakes will be a lonely one.

I dont condone what i did but my options at the time were limited, likewise when my son started chucking up in the back of the car on the m6 i had to make a dash for the shoulder, should i have carried on driving as pulling over on the shoulder is dangerous. NO, thats what its there for.

its the way people pull over on the shoulder and/or get out of their cars that causes danger. Things like driving on the shoulder which ive seen some do.

or a good one i saw was someone pulling straight out onto the carridgeway from the shoulder without picking up speed! :eek:

There is of course an element of risk involved in using the motorway hard shoulder. Theres also an element of risk involved in getting on the back of my brothers motorbike, I'd quite happily have a picnic on the hard shoulder instead of getting on the back of his bike.

I'm confused by some of the posts. Some people seem to be suggesting it's ok to run out of fuel on the motorway, thus endangering their lives, and the lives of the people who have to go out and refuel their car because of their ignorance.

The hard shoulder is there for emergencies, which to me means mechanical failure (including the fuel gauge). Yes, I accept a car can have a faulty fuel gauge, and I have run out of fuel when I had just bought a car which showed just under 1/4 of a tank left but ran out of fuel 10 miles later, but I knew for next time and so made sure the fuel gauge never got that low again.

A fuel gauge is a warning device, as I stated before, nearly every car in the UK has fuel gauge and most have a warning light too, ignoring it and running out of fuel when it shows empty is inexcusable (mechanical failure excepted) after all, the speedo is a device showing you how fast you are going, getting pulled by a copper and saying you were just ignoring it isn't going to help you get off a speeding fine.