Allstate Reports Surge In “Out of Gas” Calls
Golden State Drivers Wait ‘Til Its Too Late
California drivers pay some of the highest amounts for gasoline, prompting many motorists to wait until the last moment to fill up. After all, who has the intestinal fortitude to go to the pump and slap down eighty bucks or more to fuel their ride?
Well, delaying has resulted in an interesting trend — motorists are finding themselves running out of gas before they can make it to a service station. At least these are the findings of the Allstate Motor Club in a survey measuring driver habits for the first five months of this year.
From January-May 2008, Californians called Allstate 606 times for fuel deliveries, an increase of 17% over the same period last year.
“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,” said Phil Telgenhoff, Allstate assistant field vice president for California. “Drivers should remember running out of gas on the highway can be a lot more than an inconvenience; it can be hazardous.”
Stranded Vehicles Pose A Safety Risk
Allstate reports that motorists must wait about 30 minutes to receive help, but the auto club is much more concerned about another problem: a stranded vehicle increases the risk of much more serious accidents taking place particularly when a car has stopped in the middle of traffic.
The auto club recommends motorists move over to the shoulder if they believe that they are out of gas and to stay inside of their cars unless there is a safe place to stand nearby. Even if you don’t belong to a motor club, many states and municipalities have emergency roadside assistance services to care for stranded vehicles.
Some of the Highest Gas Prices in the Nation
A price for a regular gallon of gasoline recently topped $4.60 in the Los Angeles area according to GasBuddy, compared to $4.07 nationally.
(Source: Allstate Motor Club)
Photo Credit: Alice DeHaven
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