If you ever thought that the Government treats you like an idiot when you get behind the wheel spare a thought for the people in the North East.
Not content with sticking cameras everywhere and threatening you with jail for using a sat nav the authorities have launched a campaign to warn drivers of the dangers of running out of fuel.
The Highways Agency is this week putting up mobile electronic message signs across the North East to remind drivers to check their fuel level before it is too late.
Apparently 67 people were killed and 950 were injured on the hardshoulder across England between 2000-2004 and motorway breakdowns in the North East are due to people running out of fuel.
So the message is this – look at the little gauge which normally has a fuel pump sign and if the needle is all the way over to the left, put some petrol in your car.
And if you can’t work out how to do that it’s probably best you don’t drive.
Highways Agency Network Performance Manager, Chris Holehouse, said: ‘An alarming number of people are oblivious to the dangers of breaking down on the motorway. Sadly we do see a number of fatal and serious injury accidents which involve a stationary, often broken down, vehicle on the hard shoulder. We are urging people to top up long before they hit the reserve tank to prevent these avoidable breakdowns.
‘Christmas is the last time of year that you want to be stuck on a cold hard shoulder so you should also be prepared for shorter opening hours of petrol stations and top up regularly.’