So You Ran Out of Gas: What Do You Do Now?

I recently wrote a post about how to avoid running out of gas. It’s a terrible situation to get in to, so naturally I hope you don’t have to put any of these tips to use.

But even if you follow all of my advice on avoiding an empty gas tank, it’s always best to be prepared. So I’ve written this post to help you know what to do if you do find yourself in a bind.

Read on for my tips on what to do when and if you run out of gas!

• Get to a safe place. Though you might be overwhelmed (and majorly bummed out), the most important thing to do is immediately move to a safe place. You might have run out of gas in the middle of an intersection or in the middle of the freeway. Hopefully there is someone around to put your car in neutral and get the car to safety, but if you can’t get the car out of the way, you need to get yourself to safety at the very least!
• Figure out where you are. After the panic of running out of gas, you may be confused regarding your whereabouts. So once you’re in a safe spot, check your surroundings, check your phone or reference a map to figure out where you are and how far you are from the closest gas station. You might even need to ask a fellow driver or pedestrian to help you out!
• Check to see how much battery your phone has. If you’re far from help, you’ll want to check to see how much battery is on your phone. You’re lucky to live in a time with cell phones — but it won’t do you any good if it doesn’t turn on. So reserve what battery you have for important phone calls!
• Call for help. Now that you’ve got your bearings straight, it’s time to get yourself out of this mess! If you’re close enough to home, call a friend or family member to take you to a gas station, fill a tank and then pop it into your gas tank. But if you’re in the middle of nowhere, you’ll have to hitch a ride, get walking or call AAA. (Hopefully the latter is an option!)
• Make a game plan and take action. Once you know who’s around to help you, it’s time to make a game plan and set it in action! The sooner you can get back on the road, the better, so don’t waste time!
• Get on your way — and don’t let it happen again! Hopefully you’ll only have to be in the situation once (But at least you might have a better idea of what to do if it happens again!)