Ran out of gas in Dallas? Here's what to do next

What should you do when the engine starts to sputter?

An engine that is running out of fuel can hesitate, surge or lose power when you press the gas, often with the fuel light already on. Take those first signs as your cue to leave the road while the car still has speed. Once it stops rolling, wherever it stops is where you wait.

1. Turn on your hazard lights so drivers behind you know you're slowing.
2. Signal and move right one lane at a time while you still have momentum.
3. Aim for an exit ramp, the frontage road or a parking lot. If you can't reach one, pull as far onto the right shoulder as you can.
4. Once you're stopped, put the car in park and set the parking brake.

Is it legal to stop on the shoulder in Texas?

Yes, when you need to. Under Texas Transportation Code section 545.058, you may drive onto an improved shoulder to the right of the lanes to stop, stand or park when that is necessary and can be done safely. On divided, limited-access and controlled-access highways, the left shoulder is allowed for a disabled vehicle only when traffic or other conditions keep you from getting safely to the right.

So aim right whenever you can. The right shoulder keeps you out of the fast lanes, and it puts the passenger door, the one you'd use to get out, on the side away from traffic.

Texas DPS also suggests parking as far off the traveled part of the highway as possible, turning on your flashers and opening the hood so other drivers and responders can see the car needs help.

Should you walk to the nearest gas station?

Not from a freeway. Walking along a shoulder or across ramps puts you on foot beside fast traffic, and doing it twice, there and back with fuel, doubles the exposure. AAA's guidance for a car stopped beside traffic is to stay inside, buckled up, with the hazard lights flashing, and to stay buckled unless you absolutely must get out. If you do have to leave the car, AAA says to exit on the side away from traffic and move at least 40 feet away.

Texas DPS adds that, if possible, you should stay with the vehicle until uniformed law enforcement arrives, especially at night or in bad weather.

A walk makes more sense on a quiet city street with sidewalks and a station in sight. Even then, you need a safe, proper container to carry fuel back, so a delivery is often simpler.

When is running out of gas a 911 call?

When the car dies in a travel lane and won't move, it is no longer a fuel problem. Keep your hazards on and call 911. AAA's guidance for a car that can't get out of traffic is to stay buckled in and not try to leave it. Call 911 too if anyone is hurt or if the stop led to a crash.

Heat can also turn a simple wait into an emergency. With the engine off, the air conditioning stops. NHTSA says a child's body temperature climbs three to five times as fast as an adult's, and that lowering the windows doesn't do much to cool the inside of a car. If young children are with you on a hot day, tell whoever you call, and call 911 if the heat becomes a danger and you can't get them somewhere cooler safely.

Is there free fuel help on Dallas toll roads and highways?

Sometimes. On NTTA toll roads, including the Dallas North Tollway, dial #999. NTTA's Roadside Safety Services assist anyone on an NTTA road at no additional cost, and the crews can supply enough gas to reach the nearest gas station. NTTA's TollMate app also has a Free Roadside Help option.

On other regional highways, the Dallas County Sheriff's Office is one of the agencies running mobility assistance patrols. The North Central Texas Council of Governments describes these as free help for stalled and stranded drivers on highways, toll roads and managed lanes in Dallas and Tarrant counties. NCTCOG lists help with flat tires and stalled vehicles, not fuel, and gives no number to request a patrol, so don't plan your wait around one finding you.

On a city street, in a parking lot or anywhere those programs don't reach, a paid roadside service is the way to get fuel brought to the car.

What happens when you call Pit Stop for fuel?

Pit Stop is open 24/7 at (214) 367-5302. The dispatcher confirms on the call what fuel can be brought for your vehicle, and you hear the full price before anyone drives out. That's what you pay for the job you described. Have these details ready:

• The road you're on, which direction you were heading and the nearest exit, cross street or landmark
• Whether you're on the shoulder, a ramp, the frontage road or in a parking lot
• Your vehicle's make, model and color, and whether it takes gasoline or diesel
• Whether young children, older passengers or pets are in the car

What should you expect once help arrives?

Once you hang up, a technician is typically with you in 30–45 minutes in Dallas, and you'll already have an ETA for your exact spot. The technician brings enough fuel to get you to the nearest station, so plan to fill up there right away. You get an itemized receipt. If your auto policy includes roadside coverage, you can send it to your insurer; whether it pays is up to your policy.

Sometimes an empty tank isn't the whole story. If the engine still won't start once fuel is in, tell the technician. A battery that has run down from repeated tries can be jump-started on the same visit, and the technician can check the battery and charging system. An electric vehicle that has run out of charge is a different problem, since fuel delivery can't recharge it. If what you describe doesn't sound like a roadside fix, the dispatcher tells you before anyone drives out. If the technician only finds it at the car, a $35 to $75 service fee replaces the quoted price and the rest is refunded. The dispatcher tells you the exact fee for your job before you pay.

How can you avoid running out of gas in Dallas?

Texas DPS's travel tips put it simply: keep your gas tank at least half full. That cushion covers what Dallas driving can throw at you, from a long freeway backup to a detour or a summer afternoon idling with the air conditioning running.

• Fill up when the gauge reaches half, not when the warning light comes on.
• Treat the miles-to-empty reading as an estimate, not a promise.
• Before a long drive or a road you don't know, decide where you'll stop for fuel.
• Fill up before a long run on a toll road or open highway instead of counting on the next exit to have a station.
• Put a 24-hour roadside number in your contacts now, so you aren't searching for one while the car is coasting.