Personally i can see both points of view! I think apart from Mr or Mrs Idiot (of which there are a few, a fine would make no difference anyway? You know the ones.... they have main beam on or fog lights in perfect driving conditions & as much as another driver may flash or try to alert them are totally oblivious to anything going on?) nobody deliberately runs out of fuel on the motorway or anywhere else for that matter?

While i sympathize with anyone who has to deal with such a horrific situation & commend anyone who can & will, i still feel that in this country the laws at times do seem to be on the chancellor of the exchequers side rather than the good of all motorists/public? A totally different post i'm sure but how many of you have wondered at certain speed camera positions & thought "what use is that there?" Outside a school or any built up area or blackspot but come on???? Am not (and never will be) convinced that it's all about safety?

The point is we (the honest humble easily tracked & accounted for) motorist gets a raw enough deal as it is without imposing more fines on them??? Especially when in the majority of cases it is an honest genuine mistake?

Just my opinion & hope not to encourage further obviously heated posts??

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.

I think some people are just trying to get a rise out of Em, and to stir trouble.

I think some people are just trying to get a rise out of Em, and to stir trouble.

I can see that. Would that be gentleman who tried to sidestep his responsibility for a vehicle by having a rant at the service manager? The driver is in charge of the vehicle and it is up to them to ensure that it is in a condition so as not to endanger themselves or other road users. If they can't do the basics, should they really be in charge of a ton and a half of inanimate object? At the end of the day there should be a consequence for a careless action that could be a danger to other road users. Whether it is a fine, endorsement or a compulsory training class it's not for us to decide, but it shouldn't go un-noticed.

Not many of us on here do a job that has our safety whilst driving as a top priority, it makes me feel better knowing that there is someone looking after my interests on the road.

YES - The POLICE should always proscute - running out of fuel is completely avoidable. A broken down vehicle on the hard shoulder poses unnecessary risks to it's occupants, other motorists, the police and the recovery operators. Why should numpties be allowed to do this without some form of sanction?

WRT to HATOs - Their reason for existing is to remove network management issues from the police. Their job is to keep the carriageways clear and free running - They are, as Jeremy Clarkson said, Wombles of the motorways (and coming to a trunk road near you soon). They do not have any investigative or enforcement powers. I doubt they will get anything like this in the foreseeable future.

they are basically cleaners who go out and clean the carraigeway of crap thats been left or caused by us members of the public so the police can get on with more important tasks like catching speeders and eating cakes (alledgadly).

I think some people are just trying to get a rise out of Em, and to stir trouble.

Wrong. I genuinely believe that the solution to a problem is almost never "make it illegal".