Motorists have been warned they could be slapped with a hefty fine if they run out of fuel while driving.
Causing an obstruction with a car that is out of fuel is an offence under the careless and inconsiderate driving penalty.
If the drivers stop in the road, they could see themselves slapped with a £100 fine and three points on their licence.
If a driver pulls over, parks up or is generally out of the way when they run out of fuel they won’t face a fine.
However if running out of fuel goes on to cause an accident or much more serious incident, motorists could face a harsher punishment.
They could be charged with careless driving and face unlimited fines, but these usually do not exceed £5,000 as well as up to nine penalty points.
On top of this, another expense could pile up in the form of hefty settlements after out-of-fuel incidents.
This is because most car insurance policies are reportedly not likely to cover for accidents caused by running out of fuel.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Research, told the Express : "We have very little sympathy for drivers who run out of fuel on the motorway.
"There is no excuse for entering a motorway with low fuel or if you know something is wrong with your car.”
England isn’t the only place where it’s illegal to run out of fuel. On Germany’s famous Autobahn motorway system drivers could face punishment too.
Drivers who do accidentally run out of petrol or diesel when out driving risk damaging their car as well as a fine and points on their licence.
It could leave motorists with huge repair bills as the fuel pump could suck dirt up from the bottom of the tank and clog it up, meaning it would need to be replaced.
