Getting a car unstuck
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Keep bags of cat litter, sand, or salt in the trunk to use as a traction aid when stuck.
It adds weight to the car and provides grip; kitty litter also melts snow.
5 people, independently
Place conifer branches under the tires for traction.
One approach that helped: cutting branches and putting them under the tire saved the situation; it also works for mud.
6 people, independently
Keep a tow strap in your vehicle for emergencies.
It is an essential tool that can help pull others off the road.
one person who lived it
If you drive a rear-wheel-drive car, weigh down the trunk in winter to improve weight distribution over the drive wheels; strap any weights securely to prevent injury in a collision.
Rear-wheel-drive cars often get stuck due to insufficient weight evenly distributed among the car.
- Extra weight will affect fuel efficiency.
3 people, independently
Rock the vehicle by moving forward and backward slowly to build momentum.
This helps you go slightly farther each time.
2 people, independently
Inch forward slowly to avoid spinning the wheels.
Spinning the wheel just polishes the snow; if your rubber mat flies out from under your tire, you're moving too fast.
one person who lived it
Turn off the radio when driving in snow to listen for loss of traction.
Hearing the loss of traction allows you to react before seeing or feeling the results.
one person who lived it
Stop rocking the car if you cannot escape within one minute of switching between forward and reverse.
If you cannot escape in that time, you are stuck.
one person who lived it
Replace standard washer fluid with winter-grade fluid before temperatures drop below +30°F.
Standard fluid may only handle temps down to +30°F, while winter-grade fluid can handle -10°F or lower.
one person who lived it
4 more on this
Look for the mountain snowflake symbol on tires to identify those rated for snow.
The snowflake means the tire is good for snow.
one person who lived it
Avoid driving on pavement with DIY tire chains made of zip ties, as broken pieces can cause severe tire imbalance.
Broken zip ties can cause severe tire imbalance.
one person who lived it
Lay roofing shingles with the asphalt side down under your tires and drive slowly for traction.
one person who lived it
Judge the situation calmly before attempting to free a stuck car.
Reversing immediately often makes the situation worse.
one person who lived it