While the pension reform has just been adopted by the government, the strikers are attacking essential infrastructure to paralyze the country and make themselves heard. After the strikes in the refineries at the end of last year, it is now the social conflict that is disrupting the supply of petrol stations. According to data collected by Le Figaro, 10% of all French stations are in difficulty.
In such a context, the attendants strongly advise motorists not to force the “click” of the petrol nozzle, which interrupts the distribution as soon as the full tank is detected. Despite fuel shortages, forcing the tank to fill to the brim would be counterproductive and unnecessary.
A matter of safety (and waste)
Christophe Le Pierre, manager of a Norauto workshop in Chantepie, explain to our colleagues from Ouest France that there is a risk of overflow. “This makes the road slippery, and can lead to the risk of an accident. It’s a matter of road safety,” he adds. The danger is especially real for cyclists and motorcyclists who can easily skid on an oil stain.
The Norauto manager does not hesitate to embark on an even more explicit comparison: “After the click, you have to stop filling to have a buffer zone and prevent it from overflowing, he insists. It’s like the water for pasta, you’re not going to fill the pan to the brim… There, it’s the same!”.
Hearing the click at the gas pump isn’t pure happiness?
— vic (@TheryVictor) April 21, 2016
If the queues are getting longer at petrol stations, wanting to fill your tank to the maximum can also endanger the motorist. Excess fuel will in any case be evacuated via a chute located under the filler cap. Potentially, if the excess is too much, it can even spill onto the rear wheel, which can cause the car to lose grip.
A risk of damage to the vehicle
Graham Conway, managing director of UK-based Select Car Leasing, cité by our colleagues from AutoPlus also sees a risk for cars. Wanting to overfill a gas tank can also “propel liquid fuel into the lines and deteriorate the hose of the gasoline vapor recovery system”. This can damage the vehicle, or cause a major breakdown with all the associated costs. In other words, forcing security “clicks” will not only lose you money in the short term, but also in the longer term.
If you are looking to save fuel in times of shortage, you have two options: either the car is essential in which case you will have to try to adopt the most ecological driving style possible to optimize your consumption, or you can fall back on public transport.
One thing is certain, the shortages should cause difficulties for several more days. However, the government is considering extreme measures, even if it means creating tension with the strikers. In the Bouches-du-Rhône where 40% of the stations are currently closed due to shortages, the police headquarters “is working on the implementation of service station requisitions for priority services and professions”.
If you need to know the stations around you that still have gas, the Journal du Geek recommends going directly to the platform of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial Sovereignty which is updated in real time. You can also download apps dedicated to this like Gasoil Now, Essence&Co or SLMC Cheapest Station.
