A survey by Topaz Fuels has shown that a majority of Irish drivers won't refuel their cars until the needle on the fuel gauge is in the red or the refuel light has come on. The survey exploring the driving habits of 3,794 Irish motorists reveals that while 91 per cent consider themselves efficient drivers, 3 in 5 will only stop by the fuel pump when the red light appears on their fuel gauge, greatly increasing the risk of breakdown and causing subsequent damage to their vehicle and engine.
A tenth of us have admitted that we've actually caused damage to the car by letting it run dry (modern high pressure injection systems don't like that you see...) and costs of up to €250 or, in some cases, €500 are being racked up. While 97 per cent of people say they would like to reduce their impact on the environment by driving more efficiently, many are not taking the simple measures to help them do so. Over one third of drivers fail to check their tyre pressure at least once a month, as recommended, and the majority of drivers are driven by price (44 per cent) over quality (41 per cent) when it comes to choosing their fuel supplier. Over a third of respondents (38.5 per cent) admitted to not even knowing which fuels are the most efficient and environmentally friendly and almost 1 in 10 regularly take a gamble on the quality of the fuel they purchase by not visiting a recognised and approved retailer.
The survey also found most road users will purchase around €40 of fuel on average per visit to the service station (36 per cent) and 32 per cent of those surveyed will spend an average of €20 per visit while 25 per cent will purchase €60 worth of fuel.
The research also revealed that most of us will turn toward a family member when experiencing difficulty or breakdown on the road with a massive 63 per cent of respondents admitting they would first call a family member in the instance of running out of fuel on the roadside. AA breakdown assistance are considered the next go to (21 per cent) while 13 per cent of those surveyed said they would call their father in the case of such an emergency.
While many EU countries including Germany and Spain have introduced laws prohibiting road users from breaking down because of running out of fuel, there is some confusion among Irish road users on the topic here at home. When asked whether it was illegal to run out of fuel in Ireland, over half of those surveyed (51 per cent) conceded they did not know.
Speaking about the survey and launch of the Topaz Quality Fuels campaign, Marketing Director of Topaz Energy Margaret Barron said: "While most road users will consider themselves efficient when behind the wheel, the majority of drivers are struggling to think and act efficiently when it comes to fuel. Each component in your car is as important as the next and here at Topaz, we're encouraging our customers and road users nationwide to adopt a positive approach by protecting themselves and their vehicles when on the road by choosing a trusted and quality fuel supplier."
Conor Faughnan of AA Ireland added: "A car is only as good as its most vulnerable component - the driver. While we can easily understand people allowing their tanks to run close to dry before refuelling, it is a gamble. You could find yourself stranded on a motorway or in an unsafe area, or forced to buy fuel from a garage that you would rather not use. It's also not good for your engine or fuel system to allow it to run completely dry. Better to stay topped up and keep that needle away from the red"
Needless to say, Topaz was keen to point out that it claims its fuels can actually improve the mpg of your car, thanks to the detergents and additives in them.