How far your car can actually go when it reaches 0 on the meter

We've all felt fear wash over us when the dreaded petrol light comes on in the car mid-journey.

Whether you're popping round the corner to your local Tesco Express or you're in the middle of a 300-mile round trip to Scotland, when you see your light come on - the panic sets in.

Will I breakdown now? In five minutes? An hour? You never know, and that's what often unsettles people (myself included).

But, there is an estimated distance a lot of people are still able to travel despite being on a so-called 'empty' petrol tank.

Depending on your make and model of vehicle, you might be able to travel as far as 60 miles before your car will ground to a halt.

TikToker Max Fosh tested this theory in a Volkswagen Beetle and managed to continue travelling for a whopping 64.2 miles on an empty tank.

That's around the same distance between Southampton to Oxford.

This is because when your fuel light first comes on, it means your petrol tank is at 10-15 percent capacity, rather than totally empty.

But, when your petrol light begins to flash, that's when you're really in trouble and should probably fuel up ASAP.

And it turns out many motorists are no stranger to this predicament, with one commenting: "Been using this hack for years.

"I've done 50 in my 2011 VW beetle when it was empty," added another.

Elsewhere, others said they wouldn't risk it.

Someone said: "My anxiety doesn’t let me go below half a tank," while another continued: "I still prefer to fill up when the tank is 3/4 empty."

While Max managed to make it over 60 miles in his VW Beetle, most cars can go for around 40-50 miles.

As to what happens when you do finally run out, you'll feel you car begin to slow down and judder - something that could prove extremely dangerous on busy, fast roads like motorways.

Running out of fuel isn't illegal, but if you were to cause a crash as a result of you breaking down from your lack of petrol, then you could face dangerous driving charges, a fine and up to nine points on your license, according to the RAC.

Frequently driving on a near-empty tank can also cause damage to your car as, over time, the tank collects debris and this debris is then transported around other parts of your car.

This could then clog other major components of the vehicle.

Then there's the idea of being stranded on the side of the road; and no one wants to be that poor sod stood in the rain on the hard-shoulder of the M62 for hours on end.

Basically, an empty fuel light doesn't mean immediate danger, but it's not advised you test the theory to see how far you can go. The safest thing to do is refuel at your earliest opportunity.

While you make your way to the nearest petrol station, there are things you can do to reduce fuel consumption.

These include rolling your windows up to prevent wind resistance, using your cruise control (if you have it), and turning off electric devices plugged into the car such as iPhones.