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The Dangers of Running Out of Fuel

Running out of fuel is every driver’s nightmare, as it means either a walk to the closest fuel station or calling up your breakdown assistance, providing you have some. However considering the dangers of running out of fuel isn't something that a lot of drivers do, they include a range from the dangers you cause on the road, all the way to the damage you can do to your car by bleeding it dry. 

First let’s consider the danger that you cause on the road by running out of fuel. You can't control where on the road you will stop, if this was to occur in the middle of a motorway where other vehicles are moving at very high speeds, an unexpected car in the middle of the road can cause a fatal accident. Not only does it put other driver’s life at risk, but also the driver who has run out of fuel. They must either stay in the car and hope no other vehicle smashes into them or risk trying to cross a busy motorway to get to the hard shoulder, neither of which are good options.

So that’s the danger you cause on the road, but how about the danger you cause to your vehicle. A petrol car runs on ignition, but a diesel engine works on air compression. If a petrol engine runs out of fuel you can put fuel back into the engine and it will run normally again, but with a diesel it won't. This is because of how the two engines work differently, if air gets into the fuel system of a diesel it will not work, whereas with a petrol it doesn't matter. Before a diesel engine will run again it will need bleeding, and this of course will cost you money! 

So not only will you cause a huge danger on the road but it is also very dangerous for a diesel car to run out of fuel as it will only result in costing you money. This is something that isn't taught on your driving lessons, however some driving schools in Leeds will give out information on the subject to help new and inexperienced drivers.

The easiest way to avoid these types of dangers is to not run your car low on fuel. As soon as the fuel light comes on you should be heading to the fuel station, and if you know you will be going on a long journey put enough fuel in the car to get you there and back. 

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