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Roadside Service Sees More Drivers Run Out Of Gas

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 24, 2008

TAMPA - With gasoline prices topping $4 for a gallon of a regular unleaded, more and more Floridians are just plain running out of gas, reported one roadside-assistance club today.

Allstate Motor Club, in a statement issued this morning, said that the number of people calling for roadside assistance because they were out of gas over the first five months this year jumped by 35 percent over the same period last year.

That means between January and June, 253 motorists called for help after their vehicles' tanks ran dry between service stations.

And Florida is low. Allstate Motor Club's national numbers show a jump of 52 percent over the first five months this year compared with the same period last year, the release said.

"We can't directly correlate this rise in the number of people running out of gas to the rise in prices at the pump, but anecdotally we know that consumers are trying hard to stretch their dollar and sometimes that means stretching fuel into fumes," Phil Lawson, Allstate Motor Club's Field Vice President in Florida, said in the statement.

Allstate said that motorists typically wait about a half-hour before help with a can of gas arrives.

Allstate spokeswoman Amy Moore said the service includes a gallon or two or three, just enough to get to the next gas station.

She said the spike in such calls is significant and was not skewed by a jump in membership, which remained about steady.

"And," she said, "with the numbers we have, we have shown increases each month of the year."

Analysts blame the cost of gasoline, she said.

"That's pretty much where we are at this point," she said. "Money is tight. People are stretching their budgets and stretching their gas tanks. These are tough times."

AAA South maintained that they saw little increase of out-of-gasoline calls for service over the same period last year.

"Ours jumped by less than 1 percent," said AAA Auto Club South spokesman Gregg Laskoski today. He said he was unsure why the Allstate club members were calling at such a greater frequency.

"I'm not sure what they offer," he said, "maybe some of their folks are just being opportunistic. It just seems very odd that so many people are just that stupid."

Allstate Motor Club offered these safety tips for motorists on the road with dry tanks:

Pull your vehicle to the curb and out of the flow of traffic, reducing the chance for an accident.

If you run out of gas in traffic, stay in your vehicle until you are certain it is safe to get out. If you have to, push your vehicle to the side of the road only after you are clear of other cars and you are sure it is safe.

Call for help after getting yourself and your passengers to a safe spot.

The club also suggested these measures to help conserve gasoline:

Slow down. Aggressive driving, speeding, rapid acceleration and braking waste gas.

Keep your car maintained and running smoothly with regular tune-ups and upkeep. Checking and replacing air filters can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, and will help protect the engine.

Keeping tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent.

Gas mileage can be improved by as much as 2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil.

Keep your car light. Too often cars become long-term storage facilities. Avoid keeping unnecessary items, especially heavy ones, stowed in the trunk or back seat. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your miles per gallon by up to 2 percent.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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