As gas gets more and more expensive and drivers become more and more afraid of trips to the pumps, more people than ever have found themselves stranded on the side of the road with no gas in the tank. Trying to push it way past “E” is something I’m familiar with, but after hearing about this, perhaps I’ll be a little more careful.

According to the AP, there is a growing national trend of drivers putting less gas in their cars and then trying to drive as far as they can. Getting better gas mileage is definitely worth doing, but you’re going to get the same mileage whether you fill up all at once or in thirds…and running out of gas isn’t exactly the quickest way to get somewhere.

In Philadelphia (my hometown) alone, calls to AAA from drivers in need of some extra gas have doubled since 2007, a trend that they say is mirrored all across the country. Over the entire Mid-Atlantic region, AAA fuel calls have only increased 15%, but the summer driving months are just starting to settle in, and that number will likely increase in the coming months.

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