A LOW TIME PVT PLT PERFORMS AN OFF ARPT EMER LNDG ON A MAJOR HWY DURING A NIGHT OP WHEN HIS C172 SUFFERS AN INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION 5 NM S OF LUL; MS.

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I WAS ON A RETURN TRIP FROM 8M1 ARPT TO HBG ARPT. THE TRIP IS 172 NM. I HAD 3 PAX ON BOARD. OVER NEWTON MS; EASOM ARPT (M23); LOCATED 42 NM N OF EATON VOR; ONE OF MY PAX ASKED IF I WOULD LAND BECAUSE HE WAS NOT USED TO FLYING AT NIGHT AND NEEDED A REST FROM FLYING FOR A FEW MINS. I THEN LANDED AT NEWTON. WHILE ON THE GND AT NEWTON; I DECIDED THAT I WOULD TAKE ON FUEL SINCE THE TANKS WERE SHOWING 1/4 TANK ON EACH SIDE. IT WAS AFTER HRS WHEN WE LANDED AND THERE WAS NO CALLOUT PERSON TO GET FUEL. I TOOK A FUEL DIPSTICK AND CHKED THE L WING; WHICH SHOWED JUST OVER 10 GALLONS. I THEN CHKED THE R FUEL TANK WITH THE DIPSTICK AND IT SHOWED JUST UNDER 10 GALLONS OF FUEL. I KNEW THAT I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO HATTIESBURG CHAIN. WE DEPARTED NEWTON AND HEADED S TO INTERCEPT THE EATON VOR; THE DME READ 42 NM. DUE TO LOW CLOUDS; I TURNED SSE TOWARDS LAUREL; MS (ADF TUNED TO 346). WHILE AVOIDING CLOUDS; I PASSED LAUREL ON THE E SIDE. I THEN CAME OVER A CITY (FOUND OUT LATER THIS WAS WAYNESBORO; MS) AND TRIED TO FIND AN ARPT WITH NO LUCK. AFTER SEVERAL PASSES; I DECIDED TO FLY THE ADF NEEDLE STRAIGHT TO LAUREL. ABOUT 5 MINS PAST WAYNESBORO AT 2200 FT; THE ENG SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS GETTING NO FUEL. THE FUEL GAUGES WERE SHOWING BTWN 1/4 AND EMPTY ON THE L SIDE AND BARELY UNDER 1/4 ON THE R SIDE. I TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH TO THE R SIDE AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I THEN TURNED THE FUEL SWITCH BACK TO BOTH. THE ENG FINALLY QUIT. I WAS FOLLOWING A HWY BACK TOWARDS LAUREL AND DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG ON THE HWY. I SPOTTED 2 CARS ON THE HWY SEPARATED BY ABOUT 1/2 MI AND DECIDED TO LAND BTWN THEM. I MADE THE FORCED EMER LNDG ON HWY 84 E; 6 SM E OF INTERSTATE 59. IT WAS ONLY 5 NM TO THE LAUREL ARPT WHERE I TRAINED AS A STUDENT PLT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE PLANE; THE R WING FUEL CAP WAS OFF. BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE DRY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SUCTION ON THE R WING COULD SHOW FUEL ON THE R SIDE WHEN THERE WAS NONE. THE PROB AROSE WHEN I FAILED TO PROPERLY SECURE THE R FUEL CAP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I WAS IN A HURRY TO GET BACK TO HATTIESBURG; I FAILED TO DO A PROPER WALKAROUND INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE. I WAS UPSET WITH THE CHANGING WX; SINCE IT WAS SUCH A GOOD FLT GOING UP I DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN ON THE RETURN TRIP. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: BETTER FLT PLANNING; PROPER WALKAROUND INSPECTION.