Keep Car's Gas Tank at Least Half-Full
There's nothing worse than running out of gas on a rainy night when the closest gas station is several miles away. This situation can also put you at risk. If you're transporting family members, do you want to leave minor children alone in a car while you walk to get gas? You can certainly call AAA or a friend for help, but how long will you be waiting? If a stranger offers help, can you really trust them? What if a drunk driver doesn't see your car pulled off to the side of road and rear-ends your vehicle?
The easy answer in avoiding this circumstance is to be sure your vehicle always has at least a half-tank of gas. It means more trips to the gas station -- but the added safety is worth it.
There are other good reasons to keep your gas tank full:
• 
This winter, Clackamas County was hit with a "sneaker" snowstorm on Dec. 29, 2009. During the evening rush hour, the highways turned into a parking lot, and cars sat idling for hours. Many people had to abandon their vehicles because of dangerous driving conditions -- but others had to abandon their cars because they simply ran out of gas.
• People are often stalked or threatened while in their cars. If you have an angry former boyfriend trying to follow you to your new residence, do you want to lead him there, or go find help? You may have to go way out of your way to get to a place of safety -- and how terrible would it be to run out of gas while trying to get there?
• Natural disasters, including earthquakes, can stop service at gas stations for many hours or days. Do you want to be caught with a vehicle that lacks the gasoline to go look for a friend or family member?
While it's not necessary to live in fear of these types of situations, it seems reasonable to avoid putting yourself in potential danger when there is an easy solution.
