AN average of one driver a day is getting stuck on the already congested 17-mile stretch of Manchester smart motorway roadworks because of an empty tank.

Highways England is urging motorists to fill up before setting off after figures revealed that seven drivers a week have to rescued from the motorways after running out of fuel – bringing traffic to a grinding halt.

In the past 12 months, 354 cars have run dry between junction 8 of the M60 near Sale and junction 20 of the M62 near Rochdale, which is currently being upgraded to a £202million smart motorway.

The hard shoulder is currently out of bounds to drivers as it is being converted into an extra lane.

In a bid to tackle the problem, Highways England is now using electronic signs at key points on the motorways to remind drivers to fill up.

Stephen Hill, programme manager for Highways England, said: “Running out of fuel is the easiest cause of breakdown to avoid and some simple planning can save drivers the hassle of coming to a halt on the motorway, causing disruption to hundreds of other drivers.

“We’re asking all drivers to help us reduce the number of incidents within the roadworks section by checking their fuel when there is still opportunity to top up and checking their vehicle is roadworthy.

“Sitting at the head of a queue of unhappy drivers while you wait to be rescued is not an experience that people wish to repeat.”

Since March 2015, there have been 4,694 breakdowns on the smart motorway route around Manchester, which is due for completion in autumn 2017. Alongside the usual electrical and mechanical failures, the free recovery service also attended 24 cases of wrong fuel.