Tip #16: Out of gas on a highway, stay with the car instead of walking for fuel
Walking along a highway shoulder or an off-ramp to find a gas station puts you on foot beside fast traffic, often in the dark. On a busy road, stay with the car and have fuel brought to you.
Tip #16 in one line
Walking along a highway shoulder or an off-ramp to find a gas station puts you on foot beside fast traffic, often in the dark. On a busy road, stay with the car and have fuel brought to you.
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Call nowWhy walking is the risky choice
Shoulders on roads like I-78, I-287, Route 1 and Route 22 were not built for pedestrians. There is no sidewalk, the shoulder narrows at bridges and ramps, and drivers do not expect a person on foot. At night or in rain, you are almost invisible.
The walk is also usually longer than it looks. The next exit may have no station near the ramp, and you still have to walk back carrying a full can of gasoline.
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Call nowWhen walking is reasonable
If you must leave the car on a road, take your phone, wallet and keys, lock it, and walk facing traffic as far from the edge of the road as possible. Wear something light-colored or reflective if you have it. If anyone stops to offer help, you decide whether to accept; you can always stay with the car and wait for the truck you called.
On a quiet local street in daylight, with a station a short walk away on sidewalks, walking for fuel can be fine. Use an approved, sealed gas container, not a water jug or a bottle, and keep it upright and out of the passenger cabin on the drive back if someone gives you a ride.
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Call nowWhat to do on a highway
If the car starts to sputter, use the remaining momentum to get as far onto the shoulder or off the road as you can. Turn on the hazard lights. If it is safe to stay in the car, stay buckled in, and do not stand between your car and traffic.
A fuel delivery technician brings two to three gallons of regular gasoline or diesel, sized to get you to the next pump, and helps restart the engine. It is one flat delivery price plus the fuel at cost, quoted on the call to (908) 444-0129.
On the Turnpike or Garden State Parkway, the shoulder is served by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages; the dispatcher will tell you how to reach the Authority's roadside help.
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Call nowDiesel owners, take note
A diesel that runs completely dry may need its fuel system primed before it will restart. Tell the dispatcher it is a diesel. The fuel delivery guide explains what happens on the call.
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Call nowMore on fuel
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- Tip #25: The fuel warning light is a reserve for reaching a station, not a range to test
- What to do when your car breaks down in New Jersey
- Flatbed vs wheel-lift towing: which does your car need?
- What happens to your car after a police-ordered tow in New Jersey
- Dead car battery in a New Jersey winter: why it happens and what to do
- Flat tire on a New Jersey highway: what to do
- EV towing in New Jersey: what electric car owners need to know
- What to do after a car accident in New Jersey
- All posts
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