Running out of petrol

[Snails]

I'm at work and I'm having a hard time convincing my colleague that you can be fined for running out of petrol. He's having none of it! I'm fairly sure you can be and it's a non-endorsable £30 fine for doing so.

What piece of legislation would fining somebody for running out of petrol come under?

Thank you.

[Pints]

Snails said:

I'm at work and I'm having a hard time convincing my colleague that you can be fined for running out of petrol. He's having none of it! I'm fairly sure you can be and it's a non-endorsable £30 fine for doing so.

What piece of legislation would fining somebody for running out of petrol come under?

Thank you.

News to me. Interested to hear the responses.

[GingerWizard]

knowingly running out of fuel is a traffic offence. As i understand it.

[Pints]

GingerWizard said:

knowingly running out of fuel is a traffic offence. As i understand it.

How would they prove the "knowingly" element?

[Tuscan Rat]

GingerWizard said:

knowingly running out of fuel is a traffic offence. As i understand it.

How would you prove that ? Like to know what the points to prove would be.

In 8 years of towing people off the road for running out of fuel I have never heard of this offence or certianly never reported anyone.

Will check later at work but a quick Google comes up with nothing.

[Oggs]

Didn't clarkson mention that it was on TG when he took the Audi to Scotland and back on 1 tankful.

[bryan35]

I thought that it was, but only applied on a motorway - no stopping.

may be wrong.

[littleredrooster]

I *think* the offence is driving on the motorway without sufficient fuel to complete your journey. Or summat.

Someone knowledgeable will be along shortly....

[littleredrooster]

....and anyhoo, I can almost guarantee that there will be some dregs of fuel left in the tank, so technically you may just be suffering from a fuel-pickup problem, no?

[Snails]

The thing that led me to believe this was the case was because about 3 years ago, I was in a car that ran out of petol on a dual carriageway and the traffic officer that showed up( apparently they'd had calls saying there was a lone female stranded) told the driver that he could fine her £30 as it was an offence to run out of petrol, but he wasn't going to fine her this time.

Now as he was a police officer i've assumed that he wasn't telling porkies and8mve been in the belief it was an offence ever since.

[Landshark]

I am unaware of the offence, and I have towed, pushed escorted many vehicles that have run out over the years!!

I believe, but am unsure this maybe an offence in some parts of the EU???

[fezzafoo]

I have heard of this before but never of it being actually enforced. I'm assuming it would only be used in the event that your running out of fuel caused an accident / significant inconvenience to other road users etc.

[AndyM31]

I know it is an offense in New Zealand but not that I know of in the UK. I know this as a friend decided to return the hire with as little petrol as possible as he had paid for the fuel service when taking out the agreement. As it stood he had to be towed to the car hire company and in the process miss his flight.

[anonymous-user]

The penalty has been 'death' or serious injury before for something so simple as running out of fuel something totally unnecessary.

Should be a £60 fine now unless you can prove/certify a defective fuel gauge esp on m/way. that doesn't include the @rseholes who run out L3 causing unnecessary mayhem etc

Hato's have been expressly forbidden from carrying fuel in their vehicles to assist people (many reasons) even on a dark wet unlit motorway. under pain of diciplinary procedures

[john2443]

Oggs said:

Didn't clarkson mention that it was on TG when he took the Audi to Scotland and back on 1 tankful.

He did say that, so it must be true! Oh, hmm, hang on a moment, no, it might not be true because he said it

[14-7]

There is no offence in the UK of running out of fuel either knowingly or accidentally.

[Flanders.]

john2443 said:

Oggs said:

Didn't clarkson mention that it was on TG when he took the Audi to Scotland and back on 1 tankful.

He did say that, so it must be true! Oh, hmm, hang on a moment, no, it might not be true because he said it

He said its an offence to drive on a Motorway knowing you will have to stop on it. Or words to that effect.

[DIW35]

bryan35 said:

I thought that it was, but only applied on a motorway - no stopping.

may be wrong.

You are committing an offence in Germany if you run out of fuel on a motorway, but it doesn't apply in the UK.

[rs1952]

Flanders. said:

john2443 said:

Oggs said:

Didn't clarkson mention that it was on TG when he took the Audi to Scotland and back on 1 tankful.

He did say that, so it must be true! Oh, hmm, hang on a moment, no, it might not be true because he said it

He said its an offence to drive on a Motorway knowing you will have to stop on it. Or words to that effect.

This looks like one to add to the list:

THINGS THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT JUST AIN'T TRUE:

1. There is a special database that keeps a record of all those little speeding infractions.
2. Having no MOT invalidates your insurance
3. You can only drive to the nearest MOT station without tax
4. It is illegal to tow on a motorway
5. You can fail a breath test on half of shandy
6. They hide speed cameras in horse boxes
7. SPECS will be rolled out throughout the country

Has anybody got any more?

[streaky]

rs1952 said:

Flanders. said:

john2443 said:

Oggs said:

Didn't clarkson mention that it was on TG when he took the Audi to Scotland and back on 1 tankful.

He did say that, so it must be true! Oh, hmm, hang on a moment, no, it might not be true because he said it

He said its an offence to drive on a Motorway knowing you will have to stop on it. Or words to that effect.

This looks like one to add to the list:

THINGS THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT JUST AIN'T TRUE:

1. There is a special database that keeps a record of all those little speeding infractions.
2. Having no MOT invalidates your insurance
3. You can only drive to the nearest MOT station without tax
4. It is illegal to tow on a motorway
5. You can fail a breath test on half of shandy
6. They hide speed cameras in horse boxes
7. SPECS will be rolled out throughout the country

Has anybody got any more?

This mythical beast in North Wales is presumably a relative of the Griffin (not the Tiv type) - Streaky

Edited by streaky on Saturday 20th November 18:08