Getting Your Car Unstuck from the Snow

I no longer live in an area with harsh winters. While I miss many things about the Boston area, driving when there is snow on the ground is not one of them. In New England and many other parts of the country, winter means plenty of snowfall. Both snow and the poor road conditions that often accompany it present difficult challenges for drivers of all ages and experience levels. The most familiar streets and roadways can become treacherous and the likelihood of getting into a car accident increases.  Avoiding accidents and driving safely in tough weather conditions is difficult enough, but another type of threat also exists: you can find yourself stuck in deep snow. While the best and safest option would be to call a tow truck, it is not always an option. Luckily, you can often free your car from the snow yourself with a little bit of preparation, knowhow and effort.

The best and most obvious thing you can do is avoid getting stuck in the first place. Unfortunately, staying off the roads in difficult driving conditions is not always possible as we all have families, jobs, or other important commitments. Making sure your tire treads are not worn out and checking for proper air pressure are things you should be doing on a regular basis, not just during the winter months. Specialty tires, like run flat tires, mud tires, or snow tires, are specifically designed to handle such conditions. If you live in a place where snowy winters are common or you drive off road with some regularity, specialty tires make a lot of sense. If you are thinking about buying snow tires, browse the Web to find tires for sale. Tire prices are often lower online, even with shipping and installation costs included.

Being prepared for the worst case scenario is also prudent. A mobile phone is something you should always have with you if you are going to be out driving in harsh weather. Membership in a roadside assistance program like AAA can literally be a lifesaver. Roadside assistance is also provided by many car manufacturers, through businesses such as mobile carriers like Sprint, and organizations such as the AARP. During the winter months, keep a warm blanket, a folding shovel, flares, reflective warning triangles, a bag of non-clumping kitty litter or sand, and rock salt or some other kind of snow melter in the trunk in case of emergency. Having this snow emergency kit with you in your car can mean the difference between a short, unplanned stop and being stranded.

If you do get stuck, very gently press the gas and alternate between drive and reverse to rock your way out of trouble. Spinning your tires gets you stuck deeper so if your tires should start to spin, change direction. If you have a manual transmission, first gear will create too much torque and spin the tires so use second or third.

If you are unable to free the car by rocking, you’ll need to try digging your way out next. If you do not have a shovel, find something to dig with if possible. An ice scraper, a plastic cup, a hubcap, a stick, or anything you can find that you can use to dig a path. Once you have done some digging, kitty litter or sand you hopefully have in your emergency kit can provide some much needed traction and the rock salt can add traction and help get you on your way faster. For even more traction, you can lay down cardboard, wood, small twigs and rocks if you can find them about, or even your floor mats. If you do not have anything handy that will give you more traction, you can try letting a little bit of air out of the tires. A slightly flat tire allows for more tire surface area to come in contact with the snow and may provide just enough extra traction to get your vehicle unstuck.

If all of your efforts fail, calling a tow truck may be your only option. You may be lucky enough to get help from a passing motorist. Use your flares and warning triangles to signal your presence. Stay warm, but don’t run out of gas or kill your battery.

Staying off the roads in bad weather may not be an option. Maintaining your tires properly or having snow tires or does not guarantee that you are immune to getting stuck. By storing a few potentially useful items in your trunk during the snowy season and knowing what to do in case of trouble can enable you to free your car on your own. You will be inconvenienced but thankful you were able to avoid having to wait for a tow truck or someone else to come along and rescue you.