Left on the highway without petrol: you can do that

If you forgot to fill up or the fuel gauge spins around, you can quickly stay on the highway without petrol. We'll show you what to do now and what penalties you might face.

Got stuck on the highway without petrol - what to do?

First of all, you should park the car as far to the right as possible on the hard shoulder, put on the safety vest, place the warning triangle at least 100 meters in front of the car and go to the area behind the guardrail.

• Under no circumstances should you go to the next petrol station yourself. It is best to call a breakdown service.
• Indicate directly which fuel you need. As a rule, the breakdown service should be with you after 30 minutes at the latest.
• In general: As soon as the fuel gauge lights up, you should go to refuel. The manual tells you how much petrol is left in the tank when the display comes on. Usually it is still around seven liters.
• You should therefore no longer drive more than 50 km with the illuminated fuel gauge to be on the safe side. If the tank is very empty, expensive damage to the fuel pump can also occur.

No more petrol on the highway: these fines are imminent

• If you stop on the motorway for less than three minutes, you will be fined 35 euros. From three minutes, stopping is considered parking, 70 euros are due.
• If you have a breakdown on the motorway, you of course do not have to pay a fine. However, a lack of petrol is considered avoidable and therefore constitutes an administrative offense.
• Danger to other road users can make things worse. If an accident occurs with other vehicles due to the lack of petrol, it is a matter of gross negligence.

No petrol? No problem!

With an electric car, you no longer have to worry about gasoline. You can charge the car at any socket and the exact range display of the cars ensures that you do not lie down beforehand. On our e-car portal EFahrer.com you will find a range calculator that knows all common electric cars.

In the next practical tip we will show you what costs arise when towing the car.