Drivers are pushing gas gauge needles way past ‘E’ in an attempt to avoid costly gas station stops, but that is leaving more of them stranded on the side of the road with empty tanks and facing potentially costly repairs, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. The auto club has received 39 percent more SOS calls so far this April from drivers in the District who are stuck on the road without fuel, compared with the same time period in 2010. Those calls have also increased nearly 37 percent in Maryland and Virginia.
For the entire D.C. metro region, the average gas price as of Wednesday was $3.93, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic – or $1.05 more than the same time last year. “The sticker shock is forcing them to spend the same as they did last year on less gas, and they’re running on fumes hoping to make it to the next pay day,” said John Townsend, AAA spokesman.
