Long road trips are usually planned beforehand but sometimes the greatest plans don’t work as we want. It actually is surprising people often forget to fill the gas tank in planned trips more than in emergency situations.
Running out of gas remains the top fear of drivers. What would you do if you run out of gas in the middle of nowhere? If your gas light goes off and there is no service station in sight? Being prepared can help you avoid getting into these unwanted situations. However, knowing what to do when caught in these circumstances, can make the situation less stressful and intimidating.
The article lists some of the things that you can do when your tank runs out of gas in the middle of nowhere.
Also Read: QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED ABOUT ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
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Get To Safety
A starving engine starts stuttering and jerking. These are the signs that you have a few seconds of a working car. Use these last seconds and pull to the shoulder of the road. A malfunctioned car at the shoulder of the road is a special attraction for roadside accidents. To avoid these accidents and letting the passing cars know about you, switch on the emergency flashers. Checking for the incoming vehicles before opening the car door to get out of it.
If you are one of the ideal drivers who have an emergency warning device, then put these at least fifteen feet behind your car facing the oncoming traffic. If you don’t have these devices, you always have the option to open the hood of your car. This indicates to the passing motorists that you are facing some problem.
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Know Your Location
As soon as you make sure about your safety, the next thing you need to do is to determine your location. This has become an easy task nowadays as everyone now has a smartphone in their hands. If you have ample phone battery and signal reach, then you can simply pin your location on the map using the GPS feature. However, if you are low on phone battery as well, make sure to conserve it to make the necessary phone calls, you’ll be making after determining your location.
Even without the GPS, you can determine your location by referring to the nearby highway or road markers. You can also use the recent exit signs you have passed or even businesses, billboards, or other geographic markers as a source in determining your whereabouts. All these things help you in determining your location, allowing you to get immediately needed help.
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Call For Help
After finding out your exact location, the next step is to seek help. You need to make calls to family, friends, emergency roadside assistance services, or a towing company. If you are not confident your phone battery will last for every needed call, try closing some apps and put it on power-saving mode to increase battery span.
If you don’t have a membership with any roadside assistance club and don’t know which number to call. You can look at the insurance card for your car. There is a great chance that there is a list of emergency numbers to contact. The roadside assistance service is a commonly added feature to auto insurance. Use it and call your insurance company, so they can send an emergency gas delivery team to your location and get you back on the road.
When all of these do not work out, the chances of which are low, you can contact a towing company and ask for the nearest available tow truck to carry your vehicle to the nearest gas station. You can call a friend or family member to give you a ride too.
