Facing Winter Woes: How to Free Your Car from Snow
Winter often brings the challenge of cars getting trapped in snowbanks or icy patches. However, with a few strategic moves, even a non-winterized car can be set free swiftly. Here are six practical strategies to liberate a car from snow:
1. Prepare the Ground Around Your Tires:
Start by clearing snow and ice from around the driving tires. Ensure that a few feet in front and behind the tires are cleared to maneuver the car. Especially crucial if your car isn’t equipped for winter, also ensure snow under your car doesn’t exceed its ground clearance. Carrying a snow shovel in the trunk can be a game-changer.
2. Employ the Rocking Technique:
Mark Osborne, from Michigan Technological University’s Winter Driving School, suggests a technique: “Switch between drive and reverse to ease your car out. Ensure the car is still when changing gears. Shifting to neutral briefly before switching can be beneficial.”
3. Resist the Urge to Overaccelerate:
Though tempting, avoid pressing the gas pedal hard. Instead, lightly press the gas and release it, enhancing the “rocking” effect. It’s the car’s momentum, not sheer power, that will free you.
4. Enhance Traction:
For added grip, scatter materials like sandbags, salt, dirt, or even kitty litter beneath your tires. Also, when stuck, turning off your car’s traction control can sometimes be beneficial. Though it’s designed to assist on icy roads, in stationary situations, allowing some wheelspin might aid.
5. Teamwork Can Work Wonders:
If there are willing bystanders or passengers, having them push the car can make a significant difference. Lightly accelerate while they push, ensuring safety precautions like keeping the ground nonslippery and using snow chains for added traction.
6. Seek Professional Help:
When personal efforts don’t bear fruit, it might be time to call for professional assistance. Many insurers offer 24-hour roadside support that can help in such situations, among other emergencies.
Maintaining Composure:
When facing icy challenges, it’s essential to remain collected. Avoid abrupt actions, like aggressive braking. Osborne advises against this, saying it shifts the vehicle’s weight to the front, possibly causing the rear to spin out. Instead, ease off the gas and keep your steering steady.
Winter doesn’t just bring stuck cars but also dangerous driving conditions. To ensure you’re equipped for the snowy season, delve into our winter driving safety advice.
If you need 24-Roadside Assistance, your local Bolder Insurance Advisor is here to help.