The gauge says empty, the engine coughs, and suddenly you’re coasting on I-45 with traffic flying past at 70 miles an hour. Or you’re on the Grand Parkway (SH 99), miles from the next exit, watching the power steering get heavy. Running out of gas on a highway is frightening, but if you handle the next few minutes well, it’s also one of the easiest roadside problems to solve. Here’s how to stay safe until help arrives.
The first 60 seconds: get out of traffic
- Signal and move right as soon as the engine starts to sputter — don’t wait until it dies completely. You have more control while the engine is still running.
- Get as far onto the shoulder as you can, ideally past the white line and away from the travel lanes. If you can coast to an exit ramp, a wide shoulder, or a frontage road, even better.
- Turn on your hazard lights right away, and leave them on.
- Turn your wheels away from traffic and set the parking brake.
Note: when the engine stops, power steering and power brakes get much harder to use. Grip the wheel firmly and press the brake pedal harder than usual.
Stay in the car, or get out?
In most cases on a busy highway, the safest place is inside your car with your seatbelt on. Shoulders on I-45, the Grand Parkway and TX-249 are dangerous — drivers drift, and secondary crashes on the shoulder are a real risk, especially at night.
Get out only if staying inside feels more dangerous — for example, if you’re stopped in a spot with no shoulder or you smell smoke. If you do get out:
- Exit on the side away from traffic.
- Move well behind a guardrail or barrier, or up the embankment, away from the road.
- Never stand between your car and traffic or behind your car.
- If you’re in danger, there’s been a crash, or you’re blocking a lane, call 911.
Don’t walk the highway for gas
It’s tempting to grab your keys and walk to the nearest station. On a Houston-area freeway, that can mean a mile or more on a narrow shoulder, crossing ramps where drivers aren’t expecting pedestrians — often in heat, rain or darkness. It’s one of the most dangerous things you can do at the roadside. Have fuel delivered instead.
Call for emergency fuel delivery
Call or text LaCaze Roadside Assistance at (832) 949-4837. We’re open 24/7 and bring emergency fuel delivery across Spring, The Woodlands, Conroe, Tomball, Magnolia, Klein, Cypress, Humble, Aldine, Porter and North Houston. You’ll get an upfront price and an honest arrival estimate before we roll — and if we’re running late, we call you first.
How to tell us exactly where you are
On a highway, “I’m on I-45” isn’t enough. Help us find you fast with:
- A map pin. Open your phone’s map app, drop a pin, and text it to us. Or tap “Use my location” on our request form.
- Direction of travel. I-45 northbound or southbound? SH 99 eastbound or westbound?
- The last exit you passed or the next one ahead — for example, “I-45 northbound just past Rayford Rd/Sawdust Rd,” or “Grand Parkway eastbound between Kuykendahl Rd and I-45.”
- Mile markers or overhead sign numbers if you can see them.
- Your vehicle: make, model and color, plus the type of fuel it takes.
While you wait
- Keep your hazards on and turn off other accessories to save your battery.
- Stay buckled if you’re in the car.
- Manage the heat: crack windows for air, drink water if you have it, and keep sun off yourself with a shade or jacket. If you or a passenger feel faint or confused from the heat, call 911.
- At night, keep interior lights low so you can see what’s around you, and lock your doors.
- Be cautious with strangers who stop to “help.” You can talk through a cracked window and let them know help is already coming.
- Keep your phone on and charged — we’ll call with updates.
After the fuel arrives
We bring enough fuel to get you to the nearest station and stay until you’re running and safely back on the road. Then:
- Fill up at the next station rather than driving on what we delivered.
- If the car cranks but won’t start right away, it may take a few tries for fuel to reach the engine. Don’t crank for long stretches — if the battery runs down, we can give you a jump start.
- If your gauge seemed wrong, have it checked. A faulty fuel sender can strand you again.
How to avoid running out on the highway
- Treat a quarter tank as empty, especially before long stretches of I-45, SH 99 or TX-249.
- Expect traffic. Houston backups can burn far more fuel than the distance suggests.
- Know where stations are on your regular route — some rural stretches north and west of Spring have fewer of them.
- Save our number in your phone so you can call in seconds: (832) 949-4837.
Out of gas right now? Stay in your car with your hazards on, and call us — we’re on the way.