More consumers are running on fumes, leaving tow companies, auto clubs busy

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By Jennifer Palmer
Published: July 5, 2008

When the price of gasoline goes up, so do motorists calls to auto clubs and tow companies. Apparently more people are gambling on getting to a destination before running out of gas.

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Owners of A&B Wrecker in Oklahoma City say they're getting more frequent calls from motorists whose vehicles ran out of gas.

Most calls come from motorists stranded on a highway or roadside, but some are more unusual, said Shirley Waller, who owns the shop with her husband Bob.

One recent call even came from a driver who ran out of gasoline at a gas station. The motorist called AAA because as a Plus member, the price of the gasoline was included in the service call.

Others have called from grocery stores. They made it to the store but couldn't make it home with their food.

"They're out there trying to pay for their food instead of (paying) high gas prices. That's what's really sad,” Waller said.

Auto clubs stay busy with calls
In Oklahoma, both AAA and Allstate Motor Club say calls from customers who've run out of gasoline are up considerably this year. AAA is reporting a 22 percent increase, and Allstate has had 32 percent more calls.

"People (are) trying to beat the odds with the thought that the lower priced station is just around the corner,” said Chuck Mai, AAA Oklahoma spokesman.

Many people believe that gasoline prices have to come down, and maybe they can wait it out, but consumer confidence is failing and the nation's economy has taken a downturn that's causing families' budgets to be stretched, he said.

But Shelley Beeler, a spokeswoman for Allstate, wasn't willing to directly correlate the increase in out-of-gas calls with the price of gasoline.

How are consumers coping?
"Anecdotally, we know that consumers are trying hard to stretch their dollar and sometimes that means stretching fuel into fumes,” she said.

Historically high gas prices have caused 94 percent of consumers nationwide to make lifestyle changes, according to a survey by MapQuest. More than half are planning routes more carefully, and most are making a conscious effort to drive less.

Another change: 31 percent are partially filling their gasoline tanks.

But driving on empty is risky, Mai said. Stranded motorists can be a target for criminals, as well as a traffic hazard, he said.

The only safe solution, he said: bite the bullet and fill 'er up!


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20/20 had a great feature on this the other day. though i miss when they used to do news, i enjoyed it. they tested exactly how far you can drive on "empty" and they found that most cars go 20 to 30 miles more after the gas light comes on. but yes, mechanics did say this can mess up the engine if you do it frequently.
Renee, edmond - Jul 7, 2008 10:31 AM
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These people ought to be kicked out of AAA and whatever other services they are taking advantage. All this will succeed in is driving up the cost of the service when one of the rest of us actually need it. I'm sorry. $4 gas sucks. But, it's not the end of the world. People need to be more accountable. What a joke. Manage your money better folks. And, if you need more (to, say, buy more gas) here's a thought. Work harder for it. Or, *gasp* make coffee at home instead of buying $$$bucks. Or, eat at home. It's not hard to save the dough it takes to make up for the $10-$20 more per tank that gas costs. Sheesh.
Grant, Edmond - Jul 5, 2008 10:45 PM
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Hey at least we have the Sonics!
John, Oklahoma City - Jul 5, 2008 7:50 PM
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I actually had this thought the other day coming home from work. I thought that a part of the interstate looked like we just had a lot of snow or bad weather. There were probably 4-6 cars abandoned on the side of the interstate in a few mile stretch. Isn't it great when we can really make people suffer!
Jess, Warr Acres - Jul 5, 2008 10:56 AM
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Needless to say, you can also cause mechanical problems by running on fumes, for one, diesels don't like being run dry, and if you have an older car, you may be stirring up old crap in the bottom of the tank, and will cause problems down the line if you run the tank low. Found that out myself by running low on fuel in my 78 F150. Still having problems a month later with garbage in my fuel lines.
John, Maud - Jul 5, 2008 10:30 AM
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