Four Things You Should Do When Your Car is Stuck in the Snow
If you've ever been out driving during a winter storm, there's no doubt that your car has gotten stuck in the snow or ice. Do you wish you'd known how you could have done a better job at freeing the car from the icy trap? Instead of panicking while the tires spun in place as you pressed on the accelerator, wouldn't it have been nice to know that there was a better, more effective way to approach the situation?
If you knew that there was a quicker method for getting your car moving again, wouldn't you have taken the steps to do so?
The next time your car gets stuck in the snow or the ice, there are just a few things you'll need to remember. Unless it's a situation where your car can only be rescued from the snow by a tow truck, you'll want to take note of the steps I'll talk about below.
If I had remembered these things when I drove into a patch of icy snow recently, my car would have been stuck for much less than the three hours it was. And, as I'll discuss, the only things I would have needed were a shovel, some rock salt, and a traction mat.
So your car is stuck in the snow. What do you do?
Don't Panic
First, be careful not to cause the situation to get worse. Panicking will make you want to keep your foot down on the gas and turn the steering wheel frantically, in hopes that the car will magically break loose. It won't. Stepping on the pedal while the tires spin in place will only pack the snow down even harder, making it even more slippery, and your car more stuck.
The second you feel your tires start to spin, lift your foot off the gas. And remember to do the four things below. Your car will become unstuck much faster.
Read below to find out what do.
1. Rock the Car
This is an approach you would try if you aren't in possession of the tools we'll discuss below. To rock your car, simply alternate between reversing the vehicle and putting it in drive. Think of it like a swing set, where your legs kick back and forth to gain motion. Apply the same physics here.
The momentum you'll build by rocking your car can help your tires gain traction again, because it can clear a pathway out of the spot you're in. If you still get nowhere, though, you can try to steer your wheel hard either way, and then rock the car again. (Just be careful not to do it too much, because rocking your car can be bad for the transmission.) If this doesn't work, however, try taking the steps below.
2. Spade Shovel
Having a spade shovel will come in handy when you need to move the snow and ice that are surrounding your car's tires. In the winter, you should always have a good compact spade shovel in your car.
With the shovel, dig out the snow that's in front of the drive tires to clear a path. (Remember that the drive tires are the ones that need to get traction; the other tires are secondary.) If the snow in front of the tires is packed down tightly, use the shovel's edge to chop that snow and get it out of the way. Try to remove as much of it from around the wheels as you can. If you can't get traction with that approach, the next step will help you make progress.
3. Rock Salt
Now that you have shoveled out a path in front of the tires, take a gravelly material, like rock salt, and pour it as closely to the bottom of the tires as you can. (Substitutes for rock salt may include kitty litter, sand, or gravel.) This approach will provide the tire treads with the friction they'll need to get their first grip on the ground.
Next, pour a generous amount of rock salt over the path you've made with the shovel. Get back in the car and try driving forward while going easy on the pedal. If you are with someone who is willing to push the car from behind, allow them to help.
If the car still can't get moving, the next idea could be a solution.
4. Traction Mats
If your car moves a few feet onto the pathway you've made, but ends up getting stuck again, a nice addition to the tools you've already tried would be a pair of snow traction mats. With these in hand, just place their back edges between your car's drive tires and the snow. Make sure to also align the mats with each tire line.
Like with the rock salt you spread, the mats will enable your car to get the traction it needs to move out of the snow. When you start your car again, drive it slowly onto the traction mat. As the tires force the bottom of the mats into the ice or snow, the traction they gain will increase, and your car will be freed.
Nobody likes it when their car gets stuck in the snow. But during the winter, this happens. So always make sure to have tools in your car like the ones we talked about. By doing this, you can be sure that you'll be prepared for any situation that snowy or icy weather throws your way. You'll also be able to come to the aid of other drivers around you who get stuck in the snow.
If you've ever been out driving during a winter storm, there's no doubt that your car has gotten stuck in the snow or ice. Do you wish you'd known how you could have done a better job at freeing the car from the icy trap? Instead of panicking while the tires spun in place as you pressed on the accelerator, wouldn't it have been nice to know that there was a better, more effective way to approach the situation?
If you knew that there was a quicker method for getting your car moving again, wouldn't you have taken the steps to do so?
The next time your car gets stuck in the snow or the ice, there are just a few things you'll need to remember. Unless it's a situation where your car can only be rescued from the snow by a tow truck, you'll want to take note of the steps I'll talk about below.
If I had remembered these things when I drove into a patch of icy snow recently, my car would have been stuck for much less than the three hours it was. And, as I'll discuss, the only things I would have needed were a shovel, some rock salt, and a traction mat.
So your car is stuck in the snow. What do you do?
Don't Panic
First, be careful not to cause the situation to get worse. Panicking will make you want to keep your foot down on the gas and turn the steering wheel frantically, in hopes that the car will magically break loose. It won't. Stepping on the pedal while the tires spin in place will only pack the snow down even harder, making it even more slippery, and your car more stuck.
The second you feel your tires start to spin, lift your foot off the gas. And remember to do the four things below. Your car will become unstuck much faster.
Read below to find out what do.
1. Rock the Car
This is an approach you would try if you aren't in possession of the tools we'll discuss below. To rock your car, simply alternate between reversing the vehicle and putting it in drive. Think of it like a swing set, where your legs kick back and forth to gain motion. Apply the same physics here.
The momentum you'll build by rocking your car can help your tires gain traction again, because it can clear a pathway out of the spot you're in. If you still get nowhere, though, you can try to steer your wheel hard either way, and then rock the car again. (Just be careful not to do it too much, because rocking your car can be bad for the transmission.) If this doesn't work, however, try taking the steps below.
2. Spade Shovel
Having a spade shovel will come in handy when you need to move the snow and ice that are surrounding your car's tires. In the winter, you should always have a good compact spade shovel in your car.
With the shovel, dig out the snow that's in front of the drive tires to clear a path. (Remember that the drive tires are the ones that need to get traction; the other tires are secondary.) If the snow in front of the tires is packed down tightly, use the shovel's edge to chop that snow and get it out of the way. Try to remove as much of it from around the wheels as you can. If you can't get traction with that approach, the next step will help you make progress.
3. Rock Salt
Now that you have shoveled out a path in front of the tires, take a gravelly material, like rock salt, and pour it as closely to the bottom of the tires as you can. (Substitutes for rock salt may include kitty litter, sand, or gravel.) This approach will provide the tire treads with the friction they'll need to get their first grip on the ground.
Next, pour a generous amount of rock salt over the path you've made with the shovel. Get back in the car and try driving forward while going easy on the pedal. If you are with someone who is willing to push the car from behind, allow them to help.
If the car still can't get moving, the next idea could be a solution.
4. Traction Mats
If your car moves a few feet onto the pathway you've made, but ends up getting stuck again, a nice addition to the tools you've already tried would be a pair of snow traction mats. With these in hand, just place their back edges between your car's drive tires and the snow. Make sure to also align the mats with each tire line.
Like with the rock salt you spread, the mats will enable your car to get the traction it needs to move out of the snow. When you start your car again, drive it slowly onto the traction mat. As the tires force the bottom of the mats into the ice or snow, the traction they gain will increase, and your car will be freed.
Nobody likes it when their car gets stuck in the snow. But during the winter, this happens. So always make sure to have tools in your car like the ones we talked about. By doing this, you can be sure that you'll be prepared for any situation that snowy or icy weather throws your way. You'll also be able to come to the aid of other drivers around you who get stuck in the snow.
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