When driving in the winter, you run the risk of your vehicle becoming stuck in the mud, snow, or ice. You won’t be stuck for long if you’ve read this article and applied the advice given.
Below are 11 winter driving tips for when you’re actually stuck in the snow.
Dig It
If your car’s wheels are spinning because they’re stuck in the snow, you’ll need to free them by clearing snow and slush from around the tires. During the colder months, it’s smart to keep a shovel in your car’s trunk just in case. If you can’t find a shovel, use whatever you have in your car to dig, whether it’s an ice scraper or a rolled-up floor mat.
Keep It Low and Slow
If you’re stuck, there’s no point in rushing out. The car will become even more mired in the snow if you accelerate the rotation of the wheels. Instead, select the lowest gear possible and gradually increase acceleration to maximize the wheels’ chances of gaining traction.
Use an Aggregate
When the roads are covered in snow and slush, your wheels won’t get the traction they need to move your vehicle. If your car becomes stuck in the snow, you can give the tires something to grab onto by scattering rough aggregate around them.
This can be accomplished with ease using a bag of sand or kitty litter. (It’s smart to keep a few in the trunk.)
If you find yourself stranded on the road without any means of getting home, you should see if you can find any gravel, sticks, or anything else that might work.
Use the Floor Mats
If you don’t have any gravel on hand, the floor mats in your vehicle can serve as a makeshift snow plow. Remove as much snow and slush as you can from around the tires, and then flip the floor mats over to place them under the wheels (with the rubber against the wheel). The rubber base will provide traction for your tires.
Turn Off Traction Control
Turning off traction control to free your car from the snow may seem counterintuitive, but it’s necessary. Whenever your wheels start to slip, traction control will instantly turn them off. Holding the button down for several seconds is sometimes required to turn off traction control. When that’s done, shift into low gear and slowly speed out of the snow.
Turn the Wheel
You can give your tires a chance to grab onto some different ground by turning your wheels. Try turning the wheel one way or the other while putting your foot slowly on the accelerator. One good turn might just be enough to get you moving again.
Rock and Roll
The rocking technique can be used to free your vehicle from snow if you are stuck in an area with nothing in your way either behind or in front of you. You can use the accelerator to move the car forward in low gear, and then you can quickly let off the gas or shift into reverse to roll back.
You need to quickly put your car back into forward gear before it has a chance to settle. If you can get the car moving forward by repeating these steps, you should be able to roll it forward and out of the snow.
Skip Cruise Control
It’s tempting to use cruise control in bad weather so that you can maintain a constant speed, but you shouldn’t! In the event of a skid or hydroplane, the car will prioritize regaining the desired speed, and may even speed up in order to do so. If you want to feel quick changes in the wheels’ direction, it’s best to keep your foot on the pedal.
Don’t Stop
When approaching stop signs and traffic lights, it is preferable to slowly roll to a stop rather than braking. In the snow, you want to use the brakes as little as possible. Moreover, it is simpler to resume forward motion while slowly rolling than when starting from a complete stop.
Check the Pipes
If you’ve been driving for a while during a snow or ice storm, check to see if the exhaust pipes have gotten clogged. If snow, ice, or other debris clogs the pipes, carbon monoxide may leak into the passenger compartment.
Winter Wheels
Keeping up with routine maintenance on your vehicle is important year-round, but it’s especially important during the colder months. Take all necessary measures to ensure the readiness and safety of your vehicle on the roads this winter.
Stay at Home
One of the most basic pieces of advice for driving in the winter is to not go out at all. Stay indoors if the job or other obligations don’t require you to be out in the snow. Even the most experienced driver cannot predict what will happen on slick roads.
