Most motorists have been in a scenario when they're miles from home and the low fuel light on their car starts flashing.

It can prompt panic in some drivers who head straight to the nearest petrol station to fill up.

But just how far can you travel when the fuel gauge dips below empty?

Some motorists break down because they overestimate how much fuel is left in the tank after their warning light comes on
Some motorists break down because they overestimate how much fuel is left in the tank after their warning light comes on

Well, MoneySupermarket has the answer - well, at least for the most popular cars in the country, writes the Manchester Evening News .

The figures supplied by MS show that most cars can go for around 40 miles (give or take) on empty before the vehicle will be truly empty and you'll be out of juice and stuck.

Is it dangerous to drive with the low fuel light on?

It's not so much dangerous, more that it's just an unnecessary risk. However, if the car was to run out of petrol and break down in the middle of the road that is a potentially dangerous situation. If you're dangerously close to the empty light and in an unfamiliar location, use your satnav or Google Maps act to show you where the nearest petrol stations are.

How does Google Maps know how long your journey will take?

Accurate traffic speeds are calculated using data that Google collects from its Google Maps Navigation users and there is more than 35 million miles driven by Navigation users every day.

Google is able to do this because all iPhones that have Google Maps open and Android phones that have location services turned on send anonymous bits of data back to Google.